BOOK REVIEW # 2017-036 - FINISH LINE

As promised here is the 600^th book review I’ve posted on Amazon earlier today:

I read this book via an Amazon-US KINDLE Unlimited download.

As young, urban boys who sometimes have nothing do except occasionally commit some mischief, Justin Ventimiglia and Keith Puccio got involved with and got picked up performing an act of property destruction. Naturally, these two juveniles had to be taught that they need to pay for what they’ve done, and the St. Louis authorities felt the best way would be to give them summer jobs at the Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of town.

The story this book contains is a coming of age one as these two protagonists experience a life outside of the dysfunctional one they’ve become used to living in. The shenanigans of the eccentric adults with their drinking, gambling and smoking they witness causes them to have some interesting reactions. This creates a somewhat special bond between all involved.

When you throw in a young man fighting the dreaded disease of cancer into the mix, you get an emotionally touching story of life and death, as Justin and Keith begin to have an understanding of the tests life can throw in front of you along with the love for the game of golf itself with the challenges it gives to those who play it.

While this book seems geared to those who are golfers, it’s a story which can be enjoyed by anyone. Although this book reads like a stand-alone, it’s the second part of the six-book series [Prairie Winds Golf Course] written by the author, James Ross.

For having given his readers, this poignant coming of age story, I’ve given Mr. Ross 5 STARS for his endeavor here.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R2H3QEZEWO4GB8

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R39ZPBKQAUA3X4

STATUS REPORT # 113 PLUS ANOTHER MILESTONE HAS BEEN HIT

Things have been happening since my last report. To begin with I finally got around to submitting the revised edited manuscript for my debut romance novel, a MG/YA Paranormal, “I Kissed a Ghost” to CreateSpace. Now, hopefully on Friday I’ll be told the inner is now finished and we can move on to the next step. If all goes well, I’d like to see my book becoming available within three weeks.

This morning I’ve hit ANOTHER MILESTONE > > > > I’ve posted my 600^th review on Amazon. So, I’d like to invite everyone to check out my reviews and perhaps you’ll find your next book to read or give as a gift.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A19QLCLVPLZH0B 

I’ll be posting my 600^th Amazon here something later today.

With my “I Kissed a Ghost” on its way to see the light of day, I’ve started to return to the writing of my two WIPs. So far I’ve just ran a Grammar/SpellCheck on the two manuscript with the update versions of MicroSoft Word which came with my new computer, and now I’ve got to decide which one I’m going to work on first. The thing is I’m in no rush since I need to raise the funds to get it self-published and therefore I’ve got to do some intense promotional activities for all of my books.

HAIKU HORIZON # 22 - SHADE

Here’s this week’s prompt from the Haiku Horizon site which is “SHADE” and here are my three Haiku response endeavors:  

[ https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com ]

In the elm tree’s shade

We sit making our sweet love

To the robin’s song

Use my umbrella

To shade yourself from the sun’s

Harmful UV rays

The tree’s huge shadow

Keeps us cool under its shade

Heat abounds outside it

Would really love to get your feedback

"I KISSED A GHOST" UPDATE # 1

Hi ALL

After a slight miscommunication with CreateSpace about submitting my completed revised manuscript for my debut romance novel, a MG/YA Paranormal entitled
“I Kissed a Ghost,” I wanted to send it in. However, when I went to the perfectly fine saved file and opened it I saw it had been corrupted. Instead of just seeing the actual manuscript, I saw it along with all the changes which I made from the suggestions the line editor gave me to improve the original one. I became frantic trying to undo what had occurred, it took almost two weeks to correct this situation, which wound up being this past Wednesday [09/13/17]. On Friday, with a clear head, I slowly reviewed each page, making sure no glitches had remained.

On Thursday, I finally wrote the copyright, dedication and my other endeavors pages; adding in the appropriate blank pages. On Friday, once I was satisfied that all is well with the manuscript I’d worked so hard to revise, I contacted those supportive folks at CreateSpace to help me in getting all the comments connected to the manuscript got removed. With this last step, and making sure one last time that I had no more issues with my manuscript, I followed their instructions to send it to them.

Now, I’ve got patiently wait to them to finish setting up the interior of the revised book, so I can move on to the next step for the re-release of this book.

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-035 - GETTING MARRIED AT LAST

I read this book via an Amazon KINDLE Unlimited download.

I found this brief book to be precisely as the author has written for her description; the truth being said, it’s not only inspirational, but quite poignant as well.  The problem is too many people set their personal HEA [Happy Ever After] too high, which only results in one disappointment after another; people need to know what both their assets and negative attributes are to really fulfill their heart’s desire, which usually involves getting married at long last.

Personally, I married at 43 to my dear OH, aged 39. I knew what my limitations were; a slight speech imperfection and a genetic condition affected my physical appearance, especially my facial appearance. But one day, I found someone who could look beyond all this and to the personal I’m like on the inside; in fact, both of us looked at each of our personalities and compatibilities more than anything else, much like the author herself.

The only negative thing I can say about her book is that I feel she’s targeted her reading audience towards women. We’ve got to recognize and remember that there are scores of men who are still suffering the same way, downtrodden that they’re still living alone, and might benefit from reading the book themselves.

Every book should have a playlist which can accompany it, and this book is no exception. While for this book most people would think of Dean Martin’s “Everybody Loves Somebody”, there’s another song which he sang “Somewhere There’s a Someone” which I feel far more epitomizes what this book is trying to communicate. Here are the lyrics, see if you agree with how I feel:

Somewhere there's a someone for everyone

Somewhere there's a someone for me

Though I may be lonely now

I'll see it through somehow

To someone's heart I know I hold the key

Somewhere there's a someone for everyone

Somewhere there's a someone for me

And I'll search my whole life through

Until I find a love that's true

For I know somewhere there's a someone for me

(Somewhere)

(Somewhere)

And I'll search my whole life through

Until I find a love that's true

For I know somewhere there's a someone for me

For I know somewhere there's a someone for me

For wanting to share her story and to help others to get out of the rut they’re in, I’m happy to give Lori A. Peters and her book 5 STARS.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R3GUBPIJ9NXSVW

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2QIWK40R8MLC9

STATUS REPORT # 112

Yesterday, at long last, I’d finally been above to resolve the issues I’d been having with the re-edited manuscript for my debut MG/YA Paranormal romance novel, “I Kissed a Ghost.” I’d finished making the suggestions made by the line editor I’d gotten from CreateSpace, and I wanted to take about three days to rest. When I came back and opened the file, the document was in shambles; the manuscript was there, as were all the deletions and additions in blue. Despite all my efforts in trying to return to workable file I could format and send off to CreateSpace to prepare the interior of the book, I got nowhere.

I finally got a friend and good neighbor to help me out, since I was almost a month behind schedule in re-releasing the book. She carefully copied the entire manuscript and then pasted it into a new file, and it worked; and I was busy for several hours making sure each page was correct, saving it several times along the way. I don’t know what she did, because I’d tried doing the same thing a few times; but without much success. I finished reviewing the formatting of the entire manuscript shortly after midnight.

After I woke up this morning and had a mug of my morning Joe, black and sweet I sat down to write the copyright, my other endeavors, and dedication pages. Now, all I’ve got to do is to wait for the offices of CreateSpace to open, so they can help me remove all the comments left by the line editor which still exist on the document.

With only approving the print copy and KINDLE conversion left to do, this endeavor is now practically out of my way.

When I get into situations where I can’t move forwards on any of my writing endeavors, for whatever the reason, I switch into writing book reviews; and since my last update I’ve written eight with one more being done later today. Right now I’ve got 593 reviews written under my belt on Amazon-US and elsewhere, here’s the link if anyone is interested in reading any of them:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A19QLCLVPLZH0B 

This morning I found a fantasy romance short story I’d written over two years which I’ve started to edit, and making it a bit erotic at the same time. I’ve now got two writing endeavors left to finish under this name to finish; with the rate of my writing depended on how fast I can raise the necessary funds to get the endeavor self-published.

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-034 - IT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH FAMILY

I read this book via an Amazon-US KINDLE Unlimited download.

When I got married it was relatively late in my life, I was 43, and my dear OH was four years younger. We felt it was too late to start having children, besides I suffer from a genetic condition which we didn’t want to pass onto any children we might have had. But, after reading this highly inspirational book, I now feel we should have not fostered but adopted a young age-appropriate child for parents our age; especially since neither one of us any real family to speak of. I’ve got a sister and a handful of cousins, and my OH has a couple of cousins, none of whom we really talk to.  

I, in fact we all can see and can image a couple adopting one or two children, but the couple, Jo Ann and Dan Wentzel had amazing 75 children, frequently eight at a time and mainly teen aged boys. Those of you who have had children especially boys know what a handful it is to raise one or two of them; so, you can just imagine the fortitude and patience these two must have possessed to raise blended family and brew this size.

Those who read this book need to thank this couple for sharing their experiences of actually being a foster parent. What they’d discovered had been doing this successfully all came down to what family subtleties are needed to raise them and to have a family which come close to a natural family as possible.

This includes changing their mental attitude of family from the dysfunctional one they’ve been accustomed to living in. And once these children have reacclimated to a more normal family environment, they can return to their birth family with a new outlook for their lives and family they’d been born into. Hopefully, if the time these children had spent with the Wentzels, or in fact any foster family, has been successful this newly acquire attitude can be passed on to their children; and not the dysfunctional one they came from which would only perpetuate the situation into the next generation.

Along the way in sharing their story, the Wentzles share their various and at times quite different parenting methods, in the hopes others might benefit from in the raising of their own children; and that. perhaps after reading this book others might consider the joys of fostering children of their own/

Given what this couple has been willing to share with others, how can you not give this book the 5 STARS, I’m giving it.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R1TB5TYXS3J936

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RW17AY8C2BM7

HAIKU HORIZON # 21 - CAKE

Here’s this week’s prompt from the Haiku Horizon site which is “CAKE” and here are my three Haiku response endeavors:  

[ https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com ]

Let them all eat cake

This had been the Queen’s edict

She no more the Queen

Ice cream left on table

Not in refrigerator

Cake melted away

Should have been “cake walk”

But someone threw the wrench in

Now arduous task

Would really love to get your feedback

STATUS REPORT # 111

I know it’s been almost three weeks since my last update, but nothing important has transpired since then.

I’m still waiting for CreateSpace to approve the interior design for the re-edited version of my debut romance novel, a MG/YA Paranormal entitled “I Kissed a Ghost.” Prior to my starting the re-editing process the book had received an average of 4.1 STARS based on 26 reviews. Once they approve it, I’ve got to format the interior: single spacing, chapter starting positions, making sure the margins for each line is properly justified, etc. I also need to make sure the prior pages to the actual story have all the correct information I want it to have. I then need to get my proof copy, after I approve it’s time for the KINDLE conversion, and the start of my almost non-stop promoting for it, which I currently believe would be towards the end of this month.

Right now, I’m aggressively pursuing my reading/reviewing of book as I’d fallen behind so much I would up reducing my original goal of doing 200 books by the end of the year on GoodReads down to 150 from 200.

Besides this, I need to allow my erotic side to pursue her writing endeavors, one of which is a serialized GLBT/BDSM erotic short story/novella.

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-033 - SUZY HAS A SECRET

I read this book using an Amazon-US KINDLE Unlimited download.

As children, we’ve been taught to listen to our parents and to do everything they tell say us. We know how much they love us and they won’t do anything to hurt us. One of these things concerns tattling on someone else who did something they shouldn’t have done, because doing it wouldn’t be a nice thing to do.

But what happens when a relative, like Uncle Bob, starts doing something he shouldn’t and tell us to keep it a secret even from our parents. This is what Suzy has to deal with in this brief story when he starts touching her in places she somehow feels is wrong; she becomes scared and doesn’t want to get in trouble for tattling on her uncle to her parents.

This creates a conflict in her young mild since her parents had also taught her that if something is bothering her she should come to them. When she tells her friend Lucy what’s happening, Lucy’s older brother tells Suzy to tell her parents and that she wouldn’t get into trouble. Suzy follows his advice, tells her parents who respond by sitting down and talking to her about what Uncle Bob did to her.

Inappropriate touching is a sensitive, everyday occurring issue which parents need to discuss with their young child, and this book serves as marvelous beginning from which this discuss can begin. The book then gives parents ideas as to how to go about doing this. For trying to help parents, especially first-time young parents, in dealing with this important, sensitive issue, there’s no way I can’t give Ms. Jackson 5 STARS for her endeavor here.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R1YT2ZBHQ3KV79

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RC9WCV27YLQNH

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-032 - NERDY BABY

While the premise of this picture book is to teach your young early reader child nerdy geeky techie words might sound a bit LUDICROUS, in reality, it’s a TOTALLY SOUND IDEA.

Kids today are far more technically savvy than their parents, and even more so when I [being a child of the 1950’s] was at their age. If there’s any doubt just look at the way they’re able to easily grasp the knowledge needed to use the internet.

Parents are supposed to nurture their children’s intelligence by giving things which challenges the ability to do things, such as the simple task of reading a book. These days learning the three R’s of, Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic is no longer enough, as they need to be tech savvy as well; I believe this book can serve as one of their first steps in facing the futuristic world they’ve been born into and I’ve given Kady Dash 5 and this book 5 STARS for trying to accomplish this end.  

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R26WLJ2V0YZ4LS

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RJEXYUTW0N0BK

HAIKU HORIZON # 20 - SAFE

Here’s this week’s prompt from the Haiku Horizon site which is “SAFE” and here are my three Haiku response endeavors:  

[ https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com ]

Must find a safe place

Away from rising waters

For I cannot swim

Burglar in my home

And broke into the wall safe

Good thing jewelry fake

Our forbidden love

Though we are not together

Still safe in our hearts

Would really love to get your feedback