How to: Write a Book Review

Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome to my new schedule! At the beginning of every week, you'll be getting a How to post to warm you up for the five work days ahead. These range from Photoshop tips and tricks to basic marketing plans and beyond. Be sure you subscribe to get all the yummy goodness in your inbox! Today is all about writing a book review. Yeah, you're probably thinking how easy it is, but let me tell you, I've seen some doozies. There are people out there who need to read this. Even if you think you have it down pat, keep going. See if there's something you might be able to do better.

Why am I writing this post? Because I saw a thread on FB yesterday where people (authors AND readers) were raging about the way reviewers review books. I thought perhaps I could help. Ready? Let's get going!

There are a few very simple steps to a book review (all of these are optional, of course):

• Talk about how it made you feel when XYZ happened.
• Talk about how well or poorly the plot was structured.
• Talk about the characters and why you liked or didn't like them or what they made you think of. Did you connect with any of them? Why?
• Talk about the formatting of the book.
• Talk about the pacing (too fast or too slow).
• Then talk about what the book left you with. Thoughts or feelings you had when you were done.

And it's that easy. You can even sum this up in just a couple of sentences. Like so:
This book blew me away when it twisted the way it did. I felt like Henry and Gina were two of my closest friends, and I didn't want to see that little hiccup; it made me cry. There was no way I could put this book down once I started! It flowed from beginning to end beautifully and kept me riveted to the pages. Highly recommended read!

Or, if you hated it:
I could barely finish this book. Because Henry and Gina were never given backstory, they felt very one-dimensional to me. There wasn't a single main, or secondary, character that I connected with. This plot dragged on and on, and it felt like the story was never going to end. I was left sorely disappointed.

See? Those aren't long, but they communicate the basic idea. You don't even have to include all of the above, but it sometimes helps people understand why you're rating the book the way you are.

Now, a lot of the people like to sum up the story. I strongly suggest trying to avoid this when possible. I mean, if the idea is to sell the book and surprise the reader, telling the whole plot in the review makes it so no one really needs to read the book, right? Don't talk about the story itself; talk about your feelings about the story.

Writing a book review isn't rocket science. You can do it, and it literally takes just a few minutes to make a lasting impact.

What do you like to see in a review? What do you not like to see?

Come on back tomorrow for one of MY book reviews! I'm playing catch up from this year, and first on the list is Misty Provencher's Weeds of Detroit!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Looking Back and Forward - A 2018 Yearly Planning Post

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day. Today, I'm laying my blog and writing plan out there for you all to see. We'll look back over 2017 and see what can be improved upon in 2018. Ready? Let's get going!

First up: This Blog

Looking Back
This year was abysmal. Life happened, and a lot of my time was given to things around here. I'm not sorry, because my family will always come first, but since everyone is on the upswing health-wise, I'm going to do MUCH better this year. I only had 71 posts for the entire year, and that's just not okay. I clocked 158 in 2016, and nearly double that the years preceding. Time to fix it!

Looking Forward
Going forward, I've decided to go back to my five day posting schedule, but with a little something different. Sure, I'll share the occasional new release for myself or a friend, I'll share excerpts, and I'll be posting book reviews again for the first time in a LONG time, but the bulk of the blog will be news, tips and tricks for authors on writing and marketing, the occasional opinion post, and learning type posts. This will all begin next week. I have a plan for those posts, and I intend to stick to it like glue. It's not difficult to come up with a year's worth of content; I just needed to DO IT. Planning is everything (you know how I preach this--I just need to practice what I preach LOL).

As you all know if you've been around a while, if life happens and my family needs me, I'll go dark, but this year, I promise to be more open about what's going on so you're not thinking I've quit.

Next: Books and Writing

Looking Back
2017 was a pretty good publishing year for the F5, but no so much for myself. Our little group put out 30 episodes of a serial this year! Impressive, to say the least. You can see what we did on the Frayed Fairy Tales website here. That being said, I only released two books of my own: Utterances and How to be a TOTAL LOSER. That's just over 100k words. I can do better.

Looking Forward
2018 will be full of words. I already have a ton of writing done on Provocation and Intensification, and The House is written but not yet tweaked or edited. Those will be released in the first quarter of the year. Second quarter will be all about more words. I've stepped way back from other things, and I intend to put all my effort into getting stories told. I'm a writer, and I need to write. It's my happy place.

Last: Marketing, Events, and Life

Looking Back
I did a crap job on marketing this year, but sales have been okay--not nearly as good as 2016, but what did I expect? I attended five events: RAI, Utopia, Chapter.con, OIBF, and GLBB. Four of those were as an author. Myself, the F5, and IBGW also sponsored (in some way or another) four events: Chapter.con, OIBF, GLBB, and OUAB (I like to help when and where I can). I'm not positive there was a huge return on those investments, but most of them felt good/right. Life, of course, was full of ups and downs, but I feel as though I handled them with grace and dignity. There was no crying in a corner or pitching a fit like a toddler.

Looking Forward
I'll be doing more of the marketing I did in 2016 and adding on a couple of new things. I'm only attending one event this year: RAI, but there will be no others. That was a difficult decision, but it's what's best for me at this time. I have a writing/planning retreat scheduled in June of this year with the other F5 ladies (helloooooo, beach!), and that's going to be IT. My office will get an overhaul so it's more conducive to writing, too. This year is allll about the words and the wellness. Even when I'm not writing in my special place, I'll be thinking about writing and putting ideas on paper. Many plots will be had, and many hours will be logged in my home gym.

So, if you want to see me or get autographs or pics, you'll have to be in Roanoke, VA in April. Period. I'm not even sure what will happen in 2019 at this point. We'll see.

2017 had me by the balls. I fought MS, my husband fought cancer (like a beast, I might add), we buried my father-in-law in September, my eldest son did a tour in Afghanistan, and my second eldest had a serious fight with depression. I questioned decisions I made, got burned by a couple of people I thought had my best interests at heart (like I did theirs), and made mistakes.

But there was good in there, too. I connected with my husband on a deeper level than ever before and jaunted all over Europe with him, I got some great road time with my best friend (who I'm positive was my twin in a previous life), I made some amazing new friends, laughed until I couldn't breathe, saw my granddaughter turn one, lost a crapton of weight and gained a new lease on life, and KILLED NaNoWriMo (like, crushed it, seriously).

2018 is going to be my best year yet. I can feel it. BRING IT ON! Let's do this thing. Thanks for sticking with me through that post. I know it was long.

Do you make plans like this? Share some!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

New Release - Sigils and Spells (Charon's Quest by Eva Pohler)

Happy Tuesday, everyone! And Happy New Year! Today, I'm bringing you all info on a new release from the fabulous Eva Pohler! Bet you're all wondering what's in it for the year 2018, huh? Well, I'll get into that tomorrow. If you're a veteran of this blog, you're aware that I look backward and forward around the turn of the year. There will be some changes around here. Big ones. I'll also be updating my link list of helpful posts, and maybe do some rearranging. We'll see. Anyway, enough about all that! Let's get you to the release info! Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Book info first!

Title: Sigils and Spells (Charon's Quest by Eva Pohler)
Author: Eva Pohler
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Box Set ~ 5585 pages
Buy Links: Amazon  ~  Barnes and Noble  ~  iBooks  ~  Kobo  $0.99

Blurb:

The ferryman of the dead is forced to leave the life he’s always known.
Apollo has had a vision: as the life of each soul flashes before Charon’s eyes, the ferryman ages like an old man. Charon needs to experience his own adventures to become youthful again, or he will soon die.
The last thing Charon expects is to fall in love with a mortal woman—someone he can’t take with him when he returns. Charon must decide whether to abandon the love of his life or his duties.

***Charon's Quest will only be available in an exclusive limited time edition of a box set with over twenty other urban fantasy stories with diverse representation. You get ALL THE NOVELS for only 99 cents in Sigils and Spells.

Here's the boxed set cover!

What do you think? Gonna pick it up?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Next On My Roster of Writing Plans

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I'm gonna share with you a couple of covers and blurbs for upcoming releases. These will happen at the beginning of 2018. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

Title: Provocation - Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Two
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length (guessing): ~ 60k
Release Date: March, 2018

Blurb:

Doctor Victoria Ward has been killing men for over thirty years. Her victims all have one thing in common: they’re abusive. Righteousness is a close companion—it helps her sleep at night—and she holds the virtue closely as she defends the innocent, upholding the law when it won’t rise to protect those who need it most. When she meets a young girl named Kelly, and follows her down a twisted path of deception, Doc Ward finds herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. Never before has she wavered in her resolve—but can she defend another against someone she loves?




Title: Intensification - Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Three
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length (guessing): ~ 60k
Release Date: March, 2018

Blurb:

Detective Hank Reynolds has just been handed the case of a lifetime. Another reality TV star has gone missing, and it’s up to the Atlanta police department to find her before it’s too late. While he’s digging around, he discovers there have been nearly twenty similar kidnappings in the surrounding areas over the last twenty years, and while trying to find out more—and a witness that’s still alive—he’s dragged into a past he wishes he could erase. His dreams become nightmares about the women, and his sanity unravels. Even his eyes begin to play tricks on him, but no hallucinations are as devious as the antics of the killer—who’s always one breath away—waiting for the chance to strike again.


Title: The House
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Short Story Collection/Horror
Length: 51k
Release Date: April, 2018

Blurb:

This house is cursed, and everyone who lives there is in grave danger.

Ever wonder what stories you would hear if walls could talk?

What if those walls witnessed unimaginable horrors?

Inside these pages is the story of one such house. What it sees, the people it meets, and what happens when a terrified spirit is invited to stay.

Story 1 – The Butcher
Story 2 – Marna, Fred, and Kimberly McDade
Story 3 – Lacy Mae Ritter
Story 4 – Mark and Olivia Cullpepper
Story 5 – The Writer

The House is a collection of short stories that ties in with the Pen Pals and Serial Killers series by Jo Michaels. You’ll find a couple of those characters named, and discover how one grew the teeth he used on the women he captured later.

~~~~~~~~~~

And I'm finishing up a cute, romantic, young adult, short story titled Black Tie Christmas for a charity anthology that will release next year.

How fun is this?

Which one are you most excited for?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

New Release! Utterances

Happy Wednesday, everyone! EEP! It's release day for Utterances! I hope you're as excited as I am. Before we get rolling with the details, I'm gonna tell you a little about the book outside what the blurb says--from the author's mouth. After, I'm gonna give you a sneak peek at the INSIDES of the print book. So pretty. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

So, from the blurb, you can probably surmise that we're dealing with some pretty gnarly illnesses in this book. Cancer, dementia, and obsession are the top three. Why did I go into all that? Honestly, I have no idea. I started this book back in 2014, and none of the things on the pages had come to fruition at that time. I wrote a solid 20k or so, and then I set the MS aside and worked on other things. Then life happened, and I was handed some unique perspective for my story.

Utterances is a culmination of everything I learned during that year-long journey. Because I went through exactly what Simone was dealing with, I could relate to her on a raw level. Tons of the emotional turmoil she goes through is directly linked to things I experienced.

Things like fear of losing someone you love, and thoughts and emotions you have when you believe you have the power to save them as long as you can hold onto something else. The fear of losing that something else and being powerless. It all goes hand-in-hand with the story.

Simone is faced with a tough choice, and I did consider what the average human might do. You'll have to read for yourself to see what she chooses and why.

Anyway, enough of my rambling! On to the pretties! Here's the full wrap cover:

Here's a peek at the inside of the print book:

And here's the information (including the blurb):

Title: Utterances
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Fantasy
Length: 77k words
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99 ~ Paperback $15.99

Blurb:
Simone spent the last two years by her cancer-ridden mother’s bedside. Taking care of her was the number one priority. When Mom suddenly goes into full remission, Simone is left bobbing in an unfamiliar ocean with a young man named Tristan. What happens next is the stuff of fairy tales—and nightmares.

Shocking, heart-wrenching, and insightful, Utterances will make you question everything you thought you knew about self-sacrifice. Award-winning author Jo Michaels pulls reality and the paranormal together in a way never before seen, intensely examining what we call the human condition by diving into the innermost workings of one young lady’s mind.


I hope you grabbed it! If you did, let me know what you think!

Happy reading!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE READ ON!

Jo

New Release! How to be a TOTAL LOSER and feel better than you ever have.

Happy freaking THURSDAY, everyone! I'm squealing all over the place today. Final files for Utterances were uploaded, and the release is officially ON for 12/13. If you grab it NOW, pre-release, it's just $0.99. I know Amazon says $2.99, but they give you the lowest price it's been, and that price is just under a dollar. You can get it here. I'm overly excited about that. But today's post is about the awesome How to be a TOTAL LOSER book and telling you where you can snag a copy. Ready? Let's get going!

Information stuffs first!

Title: How to be a TOTAL LOSER and feel better than you ever have.
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Heath & Fitness
Length (print): 112 pages
Buy Link: Amazon (paperback only) $14.99 OR you can grab a copy from my website here with the code Christmas2017 and get a 20% discount on that $14.99 through 12/15! Sadly, that will only behoove you if you don't have prime, but it WILL be signed. Moving on!

Blurb:
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

Want to learn how to eat better and maybe lose a little weight along the way?

Need a realistic plan you’ll be able to stick to for the long haul?

Then this is the book for you.
There are no fad diets on the pages of this book, and no magic secret formula that’ll make you half the woman/man you are. What’s in here is real, sensible advice, and a ton of tips and tricks to help you ease into a newer, healthier you.

You’ll be a total loser. You’ll lose the fatigue, that general blah feeling, and maybe even a few pounds (or several), but you’ll start feeling better than you thought was possible in a very short amount of time.

Best of all? It’s not a plan that strips you of the things you love most. It only teaches you how to alter those things slightly, or look for better alternatives, so you can improve your overall health.

So, dive in, and become a total loser that wins in every way.

~~~~

*****There's also a spreadsheet you can request via a URL in the book that will help you calculate your current level of fitness and help you figure out how many calories you need per day to achieve your goals whether they're weight loss, gain, or maintain. Better yet? It tells you exactly how to allocate those calories between protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Pretty cool, right? No more guessing games.

Here's the full wrap, in case you wanted to see!

I honestly can't wait to hear what you all think.

Did you grab it? What goals are you trying to achieve?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

P.S. This would make a great gift to help someone achieve those New Year's resolutions. Just a thought.

Cover Reveal and Excerpt - Battered Mind by Sylvia Stein

Lending the blog voice to a friend of mine so she can regale you all with a cover reveal and excerpt! Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

Hello, my name is Sylvia Stein and I am an Indie Author. I have exciting news. This week I am doing the cover reveal of my book which I hope will be released in late 2018. I have been working with this book for awhile. It is a story I have been doing extensive research on and because of the topic I am covering I want to be sure I do it justice. It is a work of fiction, and for today I will be revealing the book cover which was designed by the very talented and amazing Michael Dangremond, and his title of his art work the cost of love. When I saw this portrait I immediately saw what I was looking for for my main character of Sadie Martin Carlyle. The title of this my first thriller is Battered Mind and I hope you all enjoy the cover reveal. I absolutely was blown away by it. I hope you are too! Thank you for your help in the cover reveal. I do appreciate it so much.

Thank you so much,
Sylvia Stein

Synopsis:
Sadie Martin Carlyle is on trial for the murder of her husband Dante Caryle. She claims she killed him in self defense and that he was a monster. She was a battered woman and if she had not defended herself he would of killed both their young daughter and her. In short, She feared for their lives.

However, there is more to this case than meets the eye. Sadie Martin is not your typical woman. Her family consists of her Criminal lawyer father Jackson Martin from Atlanta and her mother Barbara Reece Martin is one of the main leaders of the Southern Belles of Atlanta.

From the very start, there are secrets that are hidden that no one will see coming. Sadie’s story will take the reader through a very emotional journey throughout. Once the case begins, everything you think you know about what happened between Sadie and Dante Carlyle will have you asking many questions and is everything being said the truth? 

Battered Mind Excerpt: Copyright by Sylvia Stein 

As I lie here holding on to my sanity. I have to say never in a million years would I have thought all would turn out the way it did. 

You see for most of my life I had been searching and hoping that one day I would find the one and be able to finally lead “the normal life.”

However, nothing could be farther from the truth. My name is Sadie Martin Carlyle and on May 27, 2010, I was charged with the murder of my husband Dante Carlyle. 

The thing that makes this so horrific is that I do not even remember committing the crime. 

All I know is that when I awoke the next morning, My husband Dante was dead and I was found next to his body and the murder weapon. 

As of now all I can do is await my trial which will not be for a few months. 

Sadly because of the circumstance of the crime, I will have to sit in a jail cell until my trial.

You must be wondering why I seem to know so much about the law in particular. 

One second, “Can you please let me finish talking.”

Sorry being locked away in this cell has made me a bit paranoid.

Well in any case as I was saying. The reason I know so much was that my beloved husband was a lawyer and before I got married. We both met in law school. Oh, it was so simple back then. 

If only I could go back to the beginning. Things were easier. At least I thought they were. However maybe if I can just go back to the beginning I can try to salvage a bit of my dignity.

Besides, I was born and raised to be a good girl. But right now I am really placing a damper on all the years my parents spent trying to make me something I never wanted to be. You see I was born and raised in Atlanta Georgia.

It’s too damn bad I was never able to lead a normal life. Thanks to my dear parents! 

My mother was born to parents of money and my father was no different. However, he was known for being one of the best criminal defense attorneys in all of the state of Georgia. 

He was deeply admired for his hardcore antics. My father was never one to give up on his client and he is both loved and hated throughout the community. 

On the other hand, my dear mother Barbara Reece Martin has always been in the public eye. As a child, her parents owned several wineries all over the state of Georgia and North Carolina and she was left with a trust fund and decided to invest in stock and has done pretty well. She is now the Ceo of The Reece Winery and overlooks them along with my father and she is also one of the main members of the Women of Atlanta social club. 

All in all, she is always busy and thinks that I am just spoiled. My mother and I are not close.
She was always gone when I needed her. The only person that seemed to care and worry about me was my father Jackson. 

He always made time to see me and for that, I am very grateful. My father has always said I was his everything. At the time I thought I was but then I discovered it was all lies. I will get to that later.

As I was saying my mother was never around as a kid. She was always out and busy with all her numerous work and charitable events. 

“I hated her, and I still do!”

As you can see I get a bit angry being cooped up in here. I mean there are many criminals in here and I know they are women like me. But I am not one of them. I am different and I want to do is start over again. 

Let me outta here.

~~~

Now for the cover!

About the Author:

Sylvia Stein is a published author with several anthologies with her Writer’s group 750 on linkedin. Stein obtained a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University this past July 2015. She is a mother of three beautiful children Paul 10, Michael 9 and Consuelo 6. She resides in the city of Fuquay Varina with her amazing husband Jeremy. Stein has also published two solo books one was her first novella Closure which she worked on while attending SNHU and published in July of 2014 and the other her first YA Chasing Clarity was published this past October 2015 and it was created during National Novel Month (Nano) in 2013. Her latest book is entitled, The Diary of a Broken Father which came Out in February 2017. Her new thriller which she has been working on since 2014 will be out Late 2018 and is entitled, Battered Mind. 

Get in touch with Sylvia!
Website
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Facebook
On the Radio: The Daily with Syl Stein on Anchor
If you'd like to read some of Sylvia's other books, you can find them here:
Chasing Clarity: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1494964724
Closure: http://www.amazon.comdp/061590694X 

What do you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo