Print: Timeline by Michael Crichton.
Ebook: The Mystery and Suspense Writers Guide
By
Scott Mortenson, The Writing Freak
Print: evi1 by Evil Dave
Ebook: Sell The Fun Stuff: Writers' and Artists' Market
guidelines for greeting cards, posters, rubber stamps, t-shirts, aprons, bumper stickers, doormats, and more!
by Jenna Glatzer
Fiction: Deafening by Frances Itani
Nonfiction: Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery the U.S. Exploring Expedition
1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick
Ebook: Destressing the Writer: 100 and More Ways to Restore Balance to the Desk-Weary
Author by Lorna Tedder.
Print: Seabiscuit:
An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
Writing Book: How to Write a Damn Good Novel
by James N. Frey
Fiction: Lucky's Lady by Tami Hoag
Ebook: Power Queries by Beth Ann Erickson
Print: Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
by James Bradley
Writing Book: The Renegade Writer
by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell
Fiction: Forward to Camelot
by Susan Sloate and Kevin Finn
Ebook: Russian Roulette: Russia's Economy in Putin's
Era by Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.
Nonfiction: Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals
Can Change the Way we Live by Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M., M.S.
Writing Book: The Well-Fed Writer: Back For Seconds by
Peter Bowerman
(Note: Get this book with free shipping AND a free E-bonus when you order it here:
Fiction: A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter
Ebook: Life with Thnobbits, Or How I Got Baby Pooh On My Shoe! by
Christine Hohlbaum (this Ebook is FREE when you subscribe to Christine's E-zine, Powerful Families, Powerful Lives! at http://www.diaryofamother.com/ )
Nonfiction: THE POWER OF NOW: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
by Eckhart Tolle
COMMENT
I wasn't all into this book at the beginning. It was too New Agey and the author's "my way or the
highway" attitude was off-putting. He does, however, write well and his tone seems pretty convincing. But then I get to his
opinions of how Jesus was not the son of God, just a man, a spiritually enlightened teacher, and that he is not THE Christ.
That Jesus being recognized as "Christ" is not correct because we all can achieve "Christ" when trying to achieve spiritual
enlightenment. ... EXCUSE! ME!! I don't think so. Still, managed to at least get a couple of good quotes out of what I DID
read: "Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three
options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally. If you want to take responsibility for your
life, you must choose one of those three options, and you must choose now. Then accept the consequences. No excuses. No negativity.
No psychic pollution. Keep your inner space clear." (Page 82) And "Die to the past every moment. You don't need it.
Only refer to it when it is absolutely relevant to the present." (Page 84)
Writing Book: Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
by Robert McKee
COMMENT
This book was amazing. It showed fiction writing in a way no other book I have yet read has managed
to do. It's not just for screenwriters, either; anybody writing fiction should read this book. I'll admit some parts of it
were like listening to a classroom lecture (no surprise, given McKee's background), but once you read this book and understand
why it's so important to understand the fundamentals of a story, you won't regret reading every single page. Sometimes I'd
reread passages or highlight phrases that really stood out. A lot of this book has great quotes but my absolute favorite
came at the very end: "Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Keep Story at hand. Use what you
learn from it as a guide, until command of its principles becomes as natural as the talent you were born with. Do this despite
fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection,
ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly.
Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world." (p. 419) Bravo.
Fiction: The Murder Book by Jonathan Kellerman
COMMENT
This was my first Alex Delaware mystery and it was certainly hard to put down!! Now I want
to start reading all of the other ones! I really got into this book but I noticed two things that didn't seem right. First
is a POV problem: The book is written from two different POVs. The problem is that knowledge one character learns somehow
magically appears in the thought processes of another character. While it's true the information could've been relayed by
a telephone call or conversation, we don't see that happening so we're left to wonder if Delaware and Sturgis somehow have
a psychic connection. I also wondered over characters stating they didn't want to get involved in an investigation, that they
needed to be assured protection, etc., but then they were so very cooperative and talkative once they changed their minds?
I don't get it. Also didn't get one such character taking the interview outside. Alley or no, SOMEBODY might be listening.
Still, it was a great book and I give it 4 stars.
Ebook: Women on Writing: From Inspiration to Publication Edited
by Angel Brown and Sheri' L. McConnell
COMMENT
I enjoyed reading this Ebook. It really inspired
me! I highly recommend it to all writers of any age and stage.
Some articles included caught my eye....
“Market Your Book Before It’s a
Book” by Patricia Fry
LOVED this. Got me thinking about my Shadowlands
article series that I’m turning into a book later.
“Write a Top 10 List ¾ And Get Noticed!” by Merle O’Brien
I have actually done a “top 10”
article but I got this idea from my good friend Frank Baron first ( http://frankbaron.com/ ). Reading this reminded me of that “top 10” article, which I pulled up, revised and now have in the submission
rounds.
The Web site articles got me thinking about
ways to further improve this and other Web sites.
Now the turnoffs:
I didn’t really approve of the misspelling
of the author surnames Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Crichton. Also, the Stephen King novel mentioned in here, Tommyknockers,
has a part of the plot incorrect.
The hyperlinks are not “hot links”
that I can click on. (URL doesn’t show up, either.)
Nonfiction: Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits and
Haunted Places by Brad Steiger
Writing Book: Write Tight by William
Brohaugh
COMMENT
I didn't really care for this book. It sounded like an endless lecture. It was just the author
going on and on about what was right, what was wrong. What bothered me most was his hang-ups over certain words. It's just
a WORD! If you're trying to illustrate your point, don't do a half-a##ed job. Finish it! Don't let hang-ups on words ruin
what you're trying to accomplish with your writing. I also felt it was a "holier than thou" approach, where he was
always right and everybody else was wrong. I didn't even care for how he'd correct his young child, then use this as an example
of how most ADULTS speaking this way would be incorrect. There were also no other writers quoted to back up his claims.
I just didn't like this book -- at all.
Fiction: The Pacific Between by
Raymond K. Wong
COMMENT
I knew when I started reading this book that I'd be enjoying some great writing. That's exactly
what this book gave me. The characters were so real, the dialogue so interesting and Ray wrote his story with all the descriptive
details and setting pointers to make readers feel like they were really THERE. That's the feeling I got the whole time I was
reading this. I have never been to Hong Kong but Ray brought that part of the world to life in this book. It was so real and
so captivating. I honestly couldn't put this book down; I even carried it with me while I was doing housework or cooking meals
so I could read it during breaks. Reading this book was like stepping into another world with new people, not just characters,
to watch and interact with. I felt I was right there next to Greg during the whole thing. it was beautiful and I especially
loved the ending. I reread a lot of this book and walked away from it a whole new person.
You can read my review of this book at the Amazon.com page, under DMCWriter.
Ebook: Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering
the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today by Timothy H. Warneka
Nonfiction: The Well-Fed Self-Publisher by Peter Bowerman
Writing Book: From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction
by Robert Olen Butler
Fiction: The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
Ebook: WHISPERING WORLDS: The A/A/ Productions Horror/Fantasy/Sciece Fiction Poetry
Anthology Edited by David Bain
