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May 21 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Avery Hurt
In this massive sci-fi adventure, Daniel Cruz takes readers to a thoroughly imagined world, far from Earth and three million years in the future, in an epoch known as Una’ria. Humans as we know them no longer exist. They have evolved into a new species known as Rytelios, a much more subtle creature with a [...]
May 17 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Catherine Tosko
When I reviewed the first edition of this book here on SPR, I wrote,” Unassuming, universally written with sharp wit and charm, the first pages catch and you want to read on. Although Janabi never professes to be an expert… ” In this, the special extended version of his book, I want to take that [...]
May 13 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Catherine Tosko
“Don’t Look Back”, the debut novel from Rita D’Orazio tells the story of Katerina Balducci, the youngest sibling of three children in an Italian-American Catholic family, and chronicles the ups and downs of family life during her childhood with a moody mother, slighting Katerina for her unplanned birth and throwing abusive diatribes at her which [...]
May 2 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Avery Hurt
This small book of narrative poems offers a mix of subject matter, from tales based on or inspired by traditional folktales, such as the River King from African folklore, to tales that provide modern social commentary. Some of the poems are disturbing: traditional tales of murder and revenge, and modern ones that deal with Internet [...]
Apr 30 2013in Book Reviews, Features by tbmarkinsonTags: Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy and Adventure
Andy Smithson has never heard of the Land of Oomaldee and he has never met Imogenia. However, he’s soon to begin an adventure of a lifetime that involves both. Ten-year-old Andy has parents who are always harping about being respectful and responsible. Andy hates the lectures. It seems that’s all his parents do is lecture [...]
Tags: Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy and Adventure
Apr 9 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Catherine Tosko
Claire is a woman in trouble when she falls literally from a ledge into a black and white world in which she is oddly transparent, called Cloak Valley. She wakes up alone, not remembering anything but her name, when she meets the large and surly Art Rukin, who carries her off to meet the people [...]
Apr 8 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Lela MichaelTags: crime fiction spoofs, Gerry Burke, self-publishing
Spoofs are a serious business in literature, particularly when murder is involved. Pulling off a send-up of hard-boiled detective and spy novels is like singing badly on purpose – it ain’t as easy as it looks. This volume of fifteen short stories, the third in a related series by Australian writer Gerry Burke, provides the [...]
Tags: crime fiction spoofs, Gerry Burke, self-publishing
Apr 7 2013in Features by Catherine ToskoTags: marketing, social echo, Tim Ferriss, your book is a start up
As a former iterative project manager in publishing, I love this marketing model from Tim Ferriss. Social echo mechanism is something we should explore in another post soon – it’s how we all should market in my opinion. But for now, this from Bit Torrent. If you’re a writer, here’s what you’re up against. No [...]
Tags: marketing, social echo, Tim Ferriss, your book is a start up
Apr 5 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Avery Hurt
In the opening scene of this wonderful debut novel, a southern gothic that is at times comedic, at times heartbreaking, the protagonist, Simpson Weems, considers murdering his brother. We do not learn what Simpson ultimately decides until the end of the book. After the opening scene, the story becomes an extended flashback. Simpson spends the [...]
Apr 2 2013in Book Reviews, Features by Catherine ToskoTags: Bonnie McKernan, cliff of the ruin, Review
Will Teague is a NY lawyer on a new case from his out of town office – he is hired to search for the lovely Mae Kendrick’s husband – that she has no recollection of marrying. But as he delves deeper into the case, he not only falls for the artistic Mae, but has to [...]
Tags: Bonnie McKernan, cliff of the ruin, Review