MY REVIEWS OF BOOKS
Moon Dance by J.R. Rain (*****) Moon Dance by J.R. Rain is a brilliant urban fantasy novel with
engaging characters, witty dialogue, a page-turning plot, and clever
subplots that unfurl like a well-paced movie in your mind.
The protagonist, Samantha Moon, is a smart and beautiful private investigator who hasn't aged a day in six years. She can kick butt in a street fight or in a boxing ring. An ex-federal agent for HUD, Sam is also a vampire who likes her steak rare, and, is married and the mother of two school-age children who have a relentless penchant for sibling rivalry. When someone sends Sam a medallion that her attacker wore, six years ago when she became a vampire, she wants to find her attacker. This has to take the back burner for the moment, as she has a P.I. assignment to find out who shot her hunky client in the head multiple times. By the way, he lived. Sam is a busy mom who hates going outside in the daytime, and a wife who suspects that her beloved husband is straying -- Add to this cast: an apologetic vampire hunter, a sexy, helpful urban werewolf, some cop friends, and an internet friend who falls in love with her words. Sam's adventures include testing her vampire powers and supernatural limitations, and the inner quest to validate that the goodness of humanity is still inside of her. (You just gotta love a vampire heroine who worries that her supernatural status might render her automatically evil.) This is a book full of humor, rather than horror, and a woman's self-examination of a new unchosen immortal lifestyle. Moon Dance is the witty and intelligent journey of a vampire who loves her kids and wonders if God still loves her. She barely has a pulse, she's whiter than a goth girl, she doesn't reflect in a mirror, and she has a heart as big as Orange County, the urban setting of the novel. If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, be prepared to love J. R. Rain's Samantha Moon, vampire private investigator. Sparkling dialogue, page-turning action, and superlative characters will leave you wanting to see more from the pen of J.R. Rain. I know I do! Moon Dance is a must read. I gave it five out of five stars. J.R. Rain has more novels coming. Stay tuned for more from this talented author! http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000188126409#/profile.php?id=100000188126409&v=info&viewas=898640507 http://jrrain.com/ ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/jrrain The book will soon be on Amazon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bikes, Dreams and the Inner Life by Louella Holter  Bikes, Dreams, and the Inner Life by Louella Holter is the memoir of an unconventional life of a seeker, and of a woman on her own who overcomes adversity and excels at living life to its fullest measures. Unlike the low risk-taking embodied in most women's memoirs, Holter's personal tribulations resound with the credibility of a young woman who is completely free to choose her own path, and takes life risks with a sense of purpose, yet with graceful humility. Her inner life rises up from her prophetic dreams to meet her outer life, head-on, sometimes literally. She begins to reap the messages of her dreams and connects the dots to understand how dreams manifest themselves in her outer life. The life of Louella Holter unveils in layers as the years fly by on the back of a bike, always exposing uncensored revelations of her deepest self, from her heartbreaking beginnings as a very young woman who is anxious to be on her own, to the surprising unfurling of her ambitions as a world-class, competitive bicyclist ---->>>> See more... The IndieAuthor Guide by April L. Hamilton The IndieAuthor Guide by April L. Hamilton (Review by Eve Paludan)  The IndieAuthor Guide (Paperback)(Kindle E-book)by April L. Hamilton is nothing short of a must-have for any author who desires to become a publisher. Hamilton’s plan takes “indie” authors on a step-by-step journey to getting their books into print, and into electronic format. She also covers important issues, such as publishing venues, formatting, marketing, publicity, and critical technical information that can make or break the success of your book.
This is a well-done how-to book, as one may anticipate by the professional organization of the comprehensive topics of the book’s table of contents (below). The fancy table of contents isn’t just pretty wrapping paper. Hamilton delivers!
Written in the concise style of a highly trained technical writer, the book is not burdened by the “padding” that one often sees in “Dummies” or “Idiots” books. Devoid of cute cartoons or unnecessary rhetoric, Hamilton’s book is easy to read and understand, as she lays out an economical (or free), workable plan that addresses and explains state-of-the-art avenues of publication that are open to the author with big dreams and little or no money! Both print books and e-books are covered in The IndieAuthor Guide.
I used April L. Hamilton’s instructions for creating a manuscript shell to format a research document at work (I’m an editor of scholarly works at a state university). Daunted by the somewhat disorganized and lengthy science document, I took my cue from Hamilton’s easy-to-follow instructions. Her how-to not only worked like magic, it cut hours off the time I usually spend to plan and format a big editing project. Her manuscript shell instructions also helped me to figure out how to break a manuscript into workable “chunks” for editing purposes, and will make the document’s transition much easier when it is made into a Web site.
Aside from my editorial job, as an indie author, myself, and a publisher, I developed new knowledge and more high-tech skills from reading this book. Although I’m no neophyte to the world of publishing, I must admit that my entrepreneurial skills were a bit 1990s, before I read her book. My next book publishing project will go much smoother than the first. I am enriched by information and will definitely profit from it, far and above the price of her book. The IndieAuthor Guide will save me much time, expense, and frustration on my next publishing project.
I’ve been watching the economic news as many print publishers are failing. Even HarperCollins has gone from $36 million in revenue to $3 million! With the near-collapse of many other print publishers who were once considered the crème-de-la-crème, the indie author will do well to master the destiny of his or her own career, in print, and, especially, in electronic books.
I am impressed by how much usable information is contained in this 79,000 word/215-page book. Not just text, but plenty of screenshots show, as well as tell, which greatly aids visual learners.
Hamilton tells you the difference between vanity presses and self-publishing, revisits today's pros and cons of self-publishing, and gives you a list of the skills, tools, and software you need to be a publisher. Not only that, she lays out your publishing options in 2008 dollars and cents. She discusses rights, royalties, bookstores, online stores, and even organization of your files on your hard drive, for maximum efficiency. The brand identity conundrum is discussed and analyzed, insightfully, too. Throughout the book, problems are addressed; solutions are suggested and explained.
Do you want to know how to publish your book as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle? Do you know how and where to make a .pdf for free? Do you know what POD is, or how to promote your books, and yourself? I recommend buying The IndieAuthor Guide, before launching your dream of publishing your own, or anyone else’s, book.
The IndieAuthor Guide is also highly recommended by Grady Harp, a Top 10 Amazon reviewer, and Joe Wikert, the former VP and Executive Publisher of Wiley & Sons, who has now changed jobs and moved way up the ladder of publishing to General Manager of O’Reilly Media.
The IndieAuthor Guide's April L. Hamilton is also the author-publisher of two novels: Adelaide Einstein (paperback or Kindle) and Snow Ball (paperback or Kindle). (If you have a Kindle, you may download a free sample of any Kindle e-book.)
Indie authors and aspiring publishers, don't miss Hamilton's book. You'll be so glad you read it. I know I am! -- Eve Paludan, Author of Letters from David and The Romance Writer's Pink Pages. The IndieAuthor Guide by April L. Hamilton Table of Contents.
1. Preface to the Kindle Edition. 5 2. Indie Authorship: An Introduction. 6 2.1 A History Lesson. 6 2.2 The Current State of Affairs. 7 2.3 Indie Vs. Vanity. 8 2.4 Bias Against Self-Publication. 9 2.5 Common Misperceptions About Indie Authorship. 9 2.6 Portrait Of The Indie Author 11 2.6.1 Tools Of The Indie Author Trade. 12 2.6.2 Goals In Indie Authorship. 12 3. Publishing Options. 13 3.1 Self-Publishing. 13 3.2 Vanity Publishing. 13 3.3 Subsidy Publishing. 14 3.4 Print On Demand. 15 3.5 Rights, Royalties And Advances. 16 3.5.1 Mainstream Rights. 16 3.5.2 Indie Rights. 16 3.5.3 Mainstream Royalties. 17 3.5.4 Indie “Royalties” 18 3.6 What’s The Deal With ISBNs? 18 3.7 What About Bookstores? 19 3.8 Choosing A Publisher 20 4. Getting Organized. 21 4.1 Hard Drive Housekeeping And Organization. 22 4.2 Email Housekeeping And Organization. 23 5. Creating Your Brand. 23 5.1 Should Your Name Be Your Brand?. 24 5.2 You Versus Your Brand Name. 25 5.3 What’s In A Name?. 25 5.4 Consistency Is Key. 25 5.5 Take The Long View.. 26 5.6 Beware The Common Name. 26 5.7 The Same Name Game. 26 5.8 Become The Master Of Your Domain. 27 6. DIY Formatting For POD. 28 6.1 Styles. 29 6.1.1 Creating Custom Styles. 31 6.1.2 What Styles Are Needed?. 35 6.1.3 About Industry Standards. 36 6.2 Build A Manuscript Shell 37 6.2.1 Create Custom Styles. 37 6.2.2 Modify Page Setup. 37 6.2.3 Set Up Front Section. 41 6.2.4 A Note About Copyright 44 6.2.5 Set Up Headers And Footers. 45 6.2.6 Set Up Back Section. 48 6.3 Create A Separate, Chapter Shell 48 6.3.1 Using The Chapter Shell 49 6.4 Using The Manuscript Shell 50 6.4.1 Do A Final Review.. 51 6.5 Ready For The Publisher 52 7. Editing And Revising. 52 7.1 DIY Copyediting. 53 7.2 DIY Editing. 56 7.3 Content Rights. 59 7.4 Workshopping. 60 7.4.1 Can You Handle The Truth?. 60 7.4.2 Finding Feedback. 61 7.4.3 What To Do With The Feedback. 62 8. Designing Your Own Book Cover 63 8.1 Write A Book Description. 64 8.2 Gather Blurbs. 64 8.3 Download A Book Cover Template. 67 8.4 A Note About Cover Art Rights. 71 8.5 Add Art And Text 71 8.6 Delete The Template Guide Layer 80 8.7 Save Your File. 81 8.8 Final Tips And Notes. 82 9. Publishing Through CreateSpace. 82 9.1 Advantages of POD. 83 9.2 What’s The Difference Between CreateSpace And BookSurge?. 83 9.3 Questions And Answers About CreateSpace. 83 9.4 Preparing Your Manuscript For CS. 86 9.4.1 Save In PDF Format 86 9.4.2 Craft Your Book Description & Author Bio. 86 9.5 Set Up Your Book At CS. 86 9.5.1 Complete Your Profiles. 88 9.5.2 Add A New Title. 88 9.5.3 Enter Physical Properties. 90 9.5.4 Add Files. 90 9.5.5 Sales And Promotion. 91 9.5.6 Determine Your Pricing. 91 9.6 Review Setup. 92 9.7 The Review Proof 93 9.7.1 If There Are Problems….. 94 9.8 Customize Your CS E-Store Page. 94 9.9 Watch For Your Amazon Listing. 98 9.10 After Your Book Is Published. 98 9.10.1 Getting Paid. 98 9.11 Still Unclear On Something?. 99
10. Publishing For The Kindle. 99 10.1 Why Publish For The Kindle?. 100 10.2 Questions And Answers About The DTP. 100 10.3 Getting Ready For The DTP. 102 10.4 Preparing Your Manuscript For The DTP. 102 10.5 Delete The Extraneous. 103 10.6 Dealing With Graphics. 103 10.6.1 Automated Graphics Extraction. 104 10.6.2 Reformat Graphics Layout 105 10.6.3 Update Text References. 107 10.6.4 Manually Extract Graphics. 108 10.6.5 Edit Extracted Graphics. 108 10.7 Remove Breaks And Returns. 108 10.8 Alter Page Setup. 109 10.9 Rearrange Front Matter Pages. 110 10.10 Verify Styles. 110 10.10.1 Modify Styles. 111 10.10.2 General Styles Formatting. 111 10.10.3 Fonts. 112 10.11 Special Characters. 112 10.12 Insert A Hyperlinked Table Of Contents. 112 10.13 ‘Save As’ HTML. 113 10.14 Insert/Edit Graphics Pointers, If Applicable. 114 10.14.1 Verify Graphics Pointers. 115 10.15 Save Files In A .Zip Archive. 116 10.16 Prepare Your Cover Art 116 10.17 Craft Your Book Description. 116 10.18 Make A Free Excerpt Available. 117 10.19 Ready, Set, DTP! 117 10.20 Looking At Your DTP Preview.. 118 10.21 If There Are Problems….. 119 10.22 If It Looks Good, Set Your Price And Publish! 119 10.23 After Your Book Is Published. 120 11. Publishing To Other EBook Formats. 120 11.1 Different File Formats. 120 11.2 File Conversion Tools. 120 11.3 EBook Stores. 121 11.3.1 Typical Stores. 121 11.4 Smashwords. 121 11.5 Author Website Sales. 122 12. Promotion. 122 12.1 What’s The Best Way To Promote?. 123 12.2 Are You Cut Out For This?. 123 12.3 A Signature Look. 124 12.4 Symbol Key. 124 12.5 Traditional Tactics. 125 12.5.1 The Press Kit 125 12.5.2 The “One-sheet” 126 12.5.3 Author Photo. 128 12.5.4 Press Releases. 129 12.5.5 Editorial Reviews. 134 12.5.6 Articles. 136 12.5.7 Appearances. 137 12.5.8 Live Readings. 138 12.5.9 Book Signings. 138 12.5.10 The Media Tie-In. 138 12.5.11 Handouts. 140 12.5.12 Merchandise. 141 12.5.13 Word Of Mouth. 142 12.5.14 Paid Advertising. 142 12.6 New Media Tactics. 142 12.6.1 Author Website. 143 12.6.2 Author Blog. 147 12.6.3 AmazonConnect Blog. 150 12.6.4 Make A Free Excerpt Available. 152 12.6.5 Online Communities. 153 12.6.6 Comment Forms. 154 12.6.7 Online Press Releases. 155 12.6.8 Keywords And Tags. 155 12.6.9 Podcasting. 159 12.6.10 YouTube. 160 12.6.11 Online Social Networks. 160 12.6.12 Link Tracking Networks. 161 12.6.13 Link Trading. 162 12.6.14 Amazon Customer Reviews. 162 12.6.15 Amazon Listmania! Lists. 163 12.7 Form A Web Promo Ring. 164 12.8 Figure Out What’s Working For You. 164 12.8.1 Website Statistics. 164 12.8.2 Sales Statistics. 166 12.9 Keeping The Promo Train On Track. 167 12.10 When Grace Is The Better Part Of Valor 169 13. An HTML Primer 169 13.1 How Web Pages Work. 170 13.2 How To Create A Source Code File. 172 13.3 Using HTML to Boss the Browser 173 13.4 Best Practices. 182 13.5 Summary Tables
Put my book review on your web site or blog, free!
Unless otherwise credited, all content is 2008 © Eve Paludan | July 6, 2008 Review by Shannon Yarbrough
Eve Paludan is a busy woman: writer, photographer, editor, web designer, and artist. Just check out her CV on her MySpace page. It’s a hefty list of accomplishments of which anyone should be proud of. She should also be quite proud of a lil Ebook she’s written and made available through Lulu called Letters from David. Thanks to email and the rising price of stamps, I’ve often wondered if the art of letter writing is dead. We’ve even given it the sluggish nickname “Snail Mail,” adopting our eager fascination with having things so immediate thanks to our ever growing lack of patience. And yet the ending highlight of each of my workdays is coming home and checking the mailbox. On birthdays as a child, my eyes bulged with excitement over bright colored envelopes addressed to me with a funny Hallmark card and a crisp one dollar bill on the inside. My mother, with her “chicken scratch” cursive, penned letters on notepad paper to me while I was in college. Christmas cards with a quick signature still adorn my doorway in December. What would we have to say without sentiments printed by the greeting card company? Eve Paludan’s book says plenty. Here’s the blurb from her Lulu page, which also happens to be the first paragraph of the story: Claire Mead didn’t have her husband anymore, her children lived abroad, her income was shrinking and she hadn’t shaved her legs all winter. She hadn’t had recreational sex with herself, or laughed, truly laughed, for months. She was going broke and still cried much too easily since David, a.k.a. “The Saint,” had died, but suddenly, she realized she had something she had never once had before in her life — her freedom. You have to admire the preservation of someone’s old journal or diary found behind glass in a museum somewhere for you to learn history or study their penmanship, or perhaps it’s passed down from generation to generation amongst family members. I tried for years to keep a journal of my personal thoughts, but writing it down went down the drain once I learned to type. Literature and Theatre has celebrated the power of the written word for a long time. I immediately think of James Patterson’s recent book about letters, and a play I saw once called “Love Letters.” It was just two chairs on the stage, back to back, with a guy and a girl sitting there and recalling letters they’d written to each other. They were miles apart now in life, but their letters always brought them back together. It was so powerful and captivating. Eve Paludan’s book is NOT another collection of letters allowing us that glimpse into someone else’s life for a while. Yes, Dear _____, letters in italic are placed throughout the manuscript, but it is what comes between them that makes up the essence of her story. Her central character, Clare Mead, is a widow with a son away at war and a daughter in Paris, but she’s determined not to let loneliness be an illness. She refuses to succumb to it and is trying to adapt to the new emptiness in her life - this freedom. She seeks out the advice of other women like her, but soon ends up in a bit of an odd situation with her husband’s best friend, Tucker, who was also responsible for his death. A tornado is coming and the two end up taking cover in her basement, and begin to reminisce of the old days and the way it could have been. Secrets begin to unravel as you discover Tucker was once her lover and they had a child together, but their roads in life went in opposite directions. Tucker beats himself up over the death of his friend, while Clare refuses to mourn anymore. Together, they relive the memories they shared with David, a best friend and a husband. Just as you think Tucker and Clare’s time together is building to the climactic arrival of the tornado, no weather alarm will prepare you for the secrets that are revealed in the letter than begins the next chapter! It’s a letter from David, Clare’s husband, which Tucker had been saving to give to her at a later time. My only criticism of the story comes into play in the letters themselves. Although Paludan has used them sparingly to push the story forward, be warned that they are heavy in content that is crucial to the plot and backbone of her characters. Therefore, they can seem a bit melodramatic and even soap opera-ish at times, but they do not distract from the overall point the author wants to make. Letters from David turned out to be a “whirl wind” of a story that I totally was not expecting. At first, based on the author’s previous work, I predicted a much heavier romance and cliche collection of predictable love letters. Not so! The story continues to build with David, the son, writing to his half sister in Paris. Although their story is told completely in letters, reading it as if you were a person in another room over hearing a conversation is quite intriguing. Paludan has written a magnificent tale of love and loss which anyone can enjoy. So, grab a box of tissues and your high school yearbooks, because this book will take you down a path off memory lane where you never expected to go! *** See the original review posted at: http://lulubookreview.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/review-20-letters-from-david-by-eve-paludan/
Thank you to Shannon Yarbrough for such an insightful review on his book review site. His depth of analysis was unexpected and really showed me how hard a GOOD reviewer's job is. Reviews like this help me to become a better writer. My next book will likely be less melodramatic! -- E.P. November 21, 2008 Excerpt of a Review by
"This book traces the inspirational
journey of a forty-something widow with two grown children. Ms. Paludan
sketches word pictures of thoughtful beauty as she brings the rhythm of
a small coastal town to life. . .On the whole, I found this book
to be a satisfying read, and one which I would recommend to anyone
facing a difficult patch in their life." - SunflowerLongandShortReviews.com *** (Rated 3 Books) *** See the complete and original review by Sunflower, posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/1108/LettersFromDavid-EP.htm
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