In His Keeping by Maya Banks - Review & Giveaway

In His Keeping
Slow Burn #2

Maya Banks

Romantic Suspense
Avon Romance
January 27, 2015

Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo
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#1 bestselling author Maya Banks continues her suspenseful and steamy Slow Burn trilogy with this second book-a twisting tale featuring a strong yet vulnerable heroine in danger and the sexy alpha hero who must save her.

Abandoned as a baby to a young wealthy couple and raised in a world of privilege, Arial has no hint of her past or who she belonged to. Her only link lies in the one thing that sets her apart from everyone else—telekinetic powers. Protected by her adoptive parents and hidden from the public to keep her gift secret, Ari is raised in the lap of luxury, and isolation. That is, until someone begins threatening her life.

Beau Devereaux is no stranger to the strange. As the head of Deveraux Security, he’s more than familiar with the realities of physic powers. So when a family friend approaches him about protecting his daughter, he’s more than ready to jump on board. What Beau isn’t prepared for is the extent of his attraction to his beautiful and powerful client. What began as a simple assignment, just another job, quickly turns personal as Beau discovers he’ll do anything at all to protect Ari. Even if it costs him his life.

My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

In His Keeping is a romantic suspense with lots of action and a paranormal twist. I didn't read book 1 in the series, but after reading this one, I'm very curious about Caleb and Ramie's story. I loved the way the story started, loved the scenes between main character Arial's parents. They were far and away my favorite part of the book.

Arial had been sheltered by her parents her entire life due to her unusual abilities and the past that threatened to hunt her down. Though spoiled and naive, she was fiercely loyal to her parents. When her parents were taken, she would do anything to save them. The author really pounded this fact in, page after page, chapter after chapter. Arial loved her parents and would do anything to save them.

Beau was the ultimate alpha male: strong, silent, gruff, but willing to do anything for those he loves. Which was great for Arial since this man fell for her instantly. I don't really mind insta-love, and this was certainly the king of all insta-love. Under immense pressure, I understand why Arial would cling to Beau-- he became her world and her only hope.

This novel featured lots of action and suspense. Just the desire to know who was after Arial was enough to keep the pages turning. Since I liked her parents so much, I really wanted to know what happened to them. The romance between Beau and Arial was steamy and hot. The only thing that bugged me was the overall redundancy I mentioned above. I felt like the author was writing for someone with short-term memory loss. Overall, I enjoyed this story-- loved the paranormal aspect and the action-packed plot.

About the Author

Maya Banks is a #1 USA Today and New York Times bestselling author whose chart toppers have included erotic romance, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, Scottish historical romances. She is the author of the Breathless Trilogy, the KGI novels, the Sweet series, and the Colters Legacy novels.

She lives in the South with her husband and three children and other assorted babies, such as her two Bengal kitties and a Calico who’s been with her as long as her youngest child. She’s an avid reader of romance and loves to dish books with her fans and anyone else who’ll listen! She very much enjoys interacting with her readers on Facebook and Twitter as well as in her Yahoo! Group.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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False Finder by Mia Hoddell - Excerpt & Giveaway

False Finder

Mia Hoddell 

Release Date: 01/13/15

Limitless Publishing

400 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Cora has been able to detect lies since she was born, she’s…a False Finder.

However when blackmail, betrayal, and lying are all the population has to protect themselves, it makes her dangerous. It also makes her a target.

Because of Cora’s ability, Rogan Carvelli—London’s biggest criminal leader—has been trying to acquire her for years.

Cora has learned to survive and remain undetected—at least until one careless mistake causes her friends to betray her.

Sold to Carvelli, Cora is only left with the help of a secret organisation to escape. She knows nothing about them, but they have saved her too many times to ignore.

However, the closer she gets, the clearer it becomes…
Their motives are far from innocent.

Buy: 

Amazon | Amazon UK

Excerpt

Leaning forward, both arms propping his strong body up on the desk, Rogan glared at her.

“I tried to be cordial. I agreed to your insane demands but this ends here and now. You will sign this contract stating you are employed by me or things are going to get very bad for you, very quickly.”

Cora matched his stance, pulling herself up and meeting his gaze with unwavering eyes.

“Get this into your head now as I’m not going to say it again. I am not, nor will I ever let you own me. I will never sign that piece of paper.” Cora kept her voice level, matching his tone with equal determination. She didn’t have a plan for how to get out but she knew she would never sign his contract.

“Is that so? I beg to differ.”

A flash of uncertainty flickered before Cora’s eyes as he spoke, not sure where he was going with his comment. It didn’t fail to escape Rogan’s notice and on the inside he was smiling with joy at his forward thinking.

“You can’t force me to sign it!”

“Am I that crass? I won’t have to force you.”

Picking up a remote from the top of the desk, he pointed it at a painting that was hung on the wall to the right of Cora. It moved to reveal a flat screen TV and with the click of another button it flickered into life.

As the image became clearer on the screen, Cora gasped in shock. Her hand moved to cover her mouth in disbelief and her head was shaking, not wanting to believe the truth that was before her eyes.

“Still don’t want to reconsider my offer?” Rogan asked triumphantly, knowing he had won.

About the Author
Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading, loves anything paranormal or romantic, and has an overactive imagination that keeps her up until the early hours of the morning. 

By the age of nineteen, Mia had published nine books, including the Elemental Killers series and the Seasons of Change series. Since then, her books have charted on numerous Amazon Bestseller Lists, and she has also had poems published in a many anthologies. With an ever growing list of ideas, Mia continues to create fictional worlds through her writing, and is trying to keep up with the speed at which her imagination generates them.

She also designs book covers and banners on her website M Designs 

Author Links:

   

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The Seventh by S.D. Wasley - Guest Post & Giveaway

The Seventh

S.D. Wasley

YA Paranormal Romance/Suspense
Evernight Teen
January 23, 2015

Evernight Teen | Amazon | Smashwords | ARe
Goodreads

Sixteen year old Mimi Alston has company. No less than three ghosts follow her around, and only she can see them. At her last school, she was known as the girl with imaginary friends. Now Mimi’s starting fresh in a new town, where she’s determined to make some real friends and fit in for once. She’s ready for a normal life...except Mimi never counted on her fascination with troubled goth-boy, Drew.

When she’s invited to join the elite Gifted Program, Mimi discovers she’s not the only one at the school with an unusual talent. Maybe being normal isn’t even an option anymore.

Excerpt

“Mimi, would you mind telling us about yourself now?”

I swallowed again. How did she expect me to make a coherent sentence after what I’d just heard? If there was another Mimi, a logical one that could step outside of my own body and look at the situation objectively, she would say: Get a grip, Miette. This is bullshit. These people are either lunatics … or they are playing the cruellest prank in history. But the problem was, logical Mimi had gone AWOL. I believed these kids. Deep in my heart, I knew without a shadow of a doubt they were telling the truth and––whether what they were describing was real or not––they believed in their gifts as fact. Doctor Mayer would have a field day with them.

I heard myself launch into speech and marvelled at how unlike myself I sounded. I heard a Mimi I hadn’t heard in years: excited, happy and relieved. “I’m Mimi Alston. I come from Perry Ridge. I have one brother, who’s much older. He lives in Canada with his wife. I love drawing, especially portraits. I had a nickname at my old school. Mimi-and-her-imaginary-friends.” I couldn’t believe I was telling them this secret … a secret I had been so determined to keep that I’d actually been prepared to fake my whole personality, day in and day out, at this new school.

“It’s because I have company with me, pretty much all the time. Meet my ghosts, Hannah, Albert and Marvin.” I pointed at the chairs beside me and the other kids stared. Even Drew raised his head to look at me in amazement. “Hannah joined me when I was thirteen. She was a kitchen maid. She was nineteen, and she was pregnant with her boss’s child. She died having the baby. Albert joined me when I was fourteen. He was a soldier in World War II. He died on the stretcher after getting a serious shrapnel injury. And Marvin only joined me earlier this year. He was homeless after losing his house because of his gambling debts. He died of hypothermia during a cold snap.”

Patience’s eyes looked like horrified saucers as she stared at the empty chairs beside me. After a moment, Mona let out a shuddering breath and even contemptuous Cassie looked impressed. Gabe sat watching me curiously, as if he didn’t expect quite what he was seeing or hearing.

“You’re a Necromancer,” nodded Ms Deering.

“Necro … doesn’t that mean dead?” asked Mona.

“And mancy is magic, or conjuring,” affirmed Ms Deering. “Mimi calls the dead.”

“I call them?” I couldn’t help exclaiming. “I never called them! I don’t want them around!”

Ms Deering just smiled ruefully. “I don’t think you can help it. I didn’t mean you actively call them––I meant you bring them … attract them. You invite their spirits to make contact.”

“Why?” I asked.

“The million-dollar question,” Mona laughed shortly, dragging her eyes off the empty chairs beside me. “Why do any of us have these gifts?”

“Can you hear them?” Patience asked me, her face still terrified. Great. She was freaked out. Oh, well … at least she didn’t think I was crazy.

“Yes,” I said. “That’s how I know what happened to them.” My mind drifted towards some of the other things they’d said to me and I hastily changed my train of thought. “They used to talk more, but I started trying to ignore them so they stopped being so … chatty.”

Mona cackled at that. I decided I wouldn’t mention the medication I had been taking to help me “ignore” my ghosts. I could feel Drew still watching me, so I looked back at him. I badly wanted to ask him why he looked so stunned. I also wanted to ask him what his gift was. But I couldn’t form a sentence because his face was so painfully beautiful in that moment that I forgot to breathe and just stared.

“Drew,” Ms Deering said in a firm tone. “Please tell us about you.”

Drew snapped out of our little two-way staring contest and cast an angry look at Ms Deering before getting up and shouldering his satchel.

Guest Post ~ All about SD Wasley, author of The Seventh

I was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia where I still live with my partner and two daughters. At five years old, I created my first literary work. I orated a rhyming eight-line poem for my mother. My always-encouraging mother suggested I write it down, but after a couple of laborious attempts, I gave up and went to play. Fortunately my mum wrote the rest of it down for me.

Writing was my ‘thing’ forever after that. I wrote stories, poems and essays. I wrote my first book-length story at about 14 years old and still have it – it’s pretty bad. Very overdramatic and derivative of my favourites around that time (think Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, etc.). I co-wrote some short romance stories with my high school best friend and then got into darker, more angsty type stuff as I hit university. I did some experimental writing and studied literature and social theory. Those were heady days of hating ‘the system’ and trying to break boundaries!

I always wanted to write what’s considered ‘high literature,’ but damn – it’s even harder to get into that field than it is simply to get published! I guess it’s still an aspiration for me. I had two daughters and completed a PhD before starting work as a corporate writer, after a brief stint university lecturing. My writing sort of fell off the radar during this busy reality-check phase of my life.

In the last few years of my life, after the break-up of my marriage and as I approached forty, I started to take my dream of being a writer more seriously again. I met a man who not only made my life fun and full of love; he also honestly and deeply believed I was a good writer and that it was ‘just a matter of time’ until I got published. In this happier place, I got back into writing.

I was so thrilled when I got my first offer of publication from Evernight Teen. I can’t explain how good it felt to see a company willing to take a risk on my book. People don’t tend to talk about the rejection letters (there were plenty) because it’s pretty soul-destroying. The fact is, there will be rejections, but if you are a good writer, there will eventually be an acceptance. And if you’re not yet a good writer, keep working at it until you are because it is something that can be learnt.

Today I am still working towards my dream: to become a full time novelist. I dream this while I run my copywriting business, raise my two girls, love my partner and tend my many pets (dogs, cats, chickens and occasionally tadpoles). I live in a semi-rural area of the Swan Valley wine region and yes, I enjoy a glass of local wine with my writing.

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Acting Brave by Helena Newbury - Review & Giveaway

Acting Brave
Fenbrook Academy #3

Helena Newbury

New Adult Romance
January 2015

Amazon | Goodreads

She’s spent her whole life acting. But is she good enough to make him believe she doesn’t love him?
Three years ago, a terrified girl named Emma fled a world of crime and abuse in Chicago and bought a one-way ticket to New York. She reinvented herself as an actress, enrolled at the prestigious Fenbrook Academy and buried her pain beneath a vivacious new persona. Her new name was Jasmine.

Now she has to pull off the performance of her career.
Landing her dream part in a police show, she finds herself falling for her co-star, Ryan, a real-life cop. If she lets him get too close, he’ll awaken memories she doesn’t want to face and uncover secrets that could endanger them both. But how can she keep a guy at arm’s length when she has to kiss him on camera?

The last place Ryan imagined himself was on a TV show. Blaming himself for the death of his partner, he’s on a downward spiral of rage and guilt. The show is his last chance…but how can he keep it professional when his co-star is a woman he’s crazy about?

As their on-screen and off-screen relationships merge, things go from hot to blistering. But when Jasmine’s old life catches up with her, will a cop be the one person she can’t be around…or the only person who can save her?

My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

If you like character driven romance and haven't read anything by Helena Newbury, then you're really missing out. I love the Fenbrook Academy series: the school, the characters, and the romance. I fell in love with Jasmine while reading In Harmony, book #2 in the series. It was so wonderful to read an entire novel devoted to this intriguing character.

The prologue was heart-breaking, especially if you're not already acquainted with Jasmine. She experienced such deep trauma in her past, yet remained so strong despite that. Romantic interest Ryan was sexy, intelligent, and all around awesome. The heat and romantic tension started quickly-- Chapter One-- and turned into a full blaze before long.

Frankly, this was a rather emotional read, so be sure you're prepared with tissue and some quiet space. I really enjoyed the romantic suspense element which made this novel stand out from the others in the series. But once again, my favorite aspect was the character development. It was superb. The characters weren't just well-developed, they leapt off the page.

Acting Brave was my favorite novel in the Fenbrook Academy series. I'm adding this one to my favorites list. There's just nothing like a very satisfying read!

About the Author

I’m a New Adult Romance author who loves writing about what happens when love and dreams collide with the real world. I wrote my first novel, Dance for Me, in daily chunks in a very busy, very noisy coffee shop, which meant I had to order a black Americano every hour, on the hour, to keep my seat and wound up wired on caffeine most days. I hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists in summer 2013. Unlike my characters, I can’t dance.

Author links:

http://helenanewbury.com/

https://twitter.com/HelenaAuthor

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7074112.Helena_Newbury

https://www.facebook.com/HelenaNewburyAuthor

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A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd - Excerpt & Giveaway

I am so excited that A COLD LEGACY by Megan Shepherd releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an excerpt from the book!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Megan Shepherd, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blast also includes a giveaway for a signed copy of the book and swag courtesy of Megan and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

A COLD LEGACY

Megan Shepherd

Pub. Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

Pages: 400

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity. 

A COLD LEGACY excerpt

p.21-24

Montgomery stopped the horses outside a tavern. He came to the carriage door, opening it just a crack to keep the rain from drenching us. “I’m going to ask directions. We can’t be far now.”

We watched him saunter over the muddy street as though he didn’t even feel the bite of freezing rain. A face appeared in the tavern window. The door opened and he spoke to a woman in a wool dress for a few moments, then stomped back through the mud. “This village is called Quick,” he told us. “The manor’s only five miles from here.”

“Did you hear that?” Lucy murmured to Edward, still stroking his hair. “We’re almost there. Just hold on. Everything will be all right once we arrive.”

Montgomery’s eyes shifted to me. Neither of us wanted to remind Lucy that the prospect of Edward’s fever breaking—and the Beast’s reappearance—was almost more frightening than the fever itself. Delirious, he was less of a threat.

“Let’s go then,” I whispered to Montgomery. “And quickly.”

He closed the door and in another moment we were moving again, passing through the rest of Quick. Then all too soon the village was nothing but fading lights. The storm grew and the road became rougher, and all the while Edward’s eyes rolled back and forth beneath shuttered lids.

Thunder struck close by, and Lucy shrieked. Montgomery whipped the horses harder, pulling us along the uneven road impossibly fast, trying to outrun the storm. I twisted in the seat to look out the back window at the pelting rain. A stone fence ran alongside us.

“We must be getting close,” I said.

“Not soon enough,” Lucy breathed. “We’re going to crash if he keeps driving like this!”

The road widened, straightening, letting us travel even faster. Lightning struck close by, blinding me. The horses bolted. Lucy screamed and covered her eyes, but I couldn’t tear mine away. The lightning had struck an enormous oak tree, twisted from centuries of wind. The oak took flame, blazing despite the rain. A smoking gash ran down the trunk—the lightning’s death mark. I watched until the rain put out most of the flames, but it still smoldered, billowing hot ash into the night.

The horses pawed the earth, and I grabbed the window to steady myself. At this wild speed, just hitting a single rock at the wrong angle would send the carriage shattering to the ground. It was madness to go so fast. Couldn’t Montgomery calm the horses?

Just when I feared the carriage would careen out of control, it stopped short, throwing me against the opposite wall. I tangled in Lucy’s limbs as the chains around Edward’s body clinked. Balthazar grunted, jerking awake at last. We scrambled in the bottom of the carriage until the door flew open.

Montgomery stood in the pelting rain. I feared he’d say we’d broken another strut or the horses had gone lame or we’d have to spend the night in the harsh storm.

But then I saw the lights behind him, and the night took shape into a turreted stone manor with bright lamps blazing and gargoyles on the roof vomiting rain into a stone courtyard.

Montgomery’s eyes met mine beneath the low brim of his hat.

“We’ve arrived,” he said.

About Megan:

Hello! 

I’ve been many things, like a professional exchange student, park ranger in Montana, and LOST enthusiast, but what I am now is a writer.

I think it’s fair to say I was born into it. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, raised behind the counter of my parents’ independent bookstore, Highland Books in Brevard. Ah, so many free books. But I never thought being a writer could be a real career. After college I thought I’d end up as a foreign service officer somewhere dashing and exotic, like Canada. I studied French, Spanish, German, and Russian and still speak a few of those. Then I joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Senegal, where I learned a few more languages I’ll never speak again and lived in a mud hut with no electricity or running water. You can probably imagine how that experience went, but if you’re curious, here are the dirty details. 

It wasn't until a chance aquaintance read something I wrote and said, "have you ever considered being a writer?" that something clicked and I realized it was possible. My husband encouraged me, and I quickly fell head-over-heels in love with writing and children's literature in particular. I started out writing articles, which have appeared in Faces, Appleseeds, and Calliope magazines, and stories for younger children. I soon realized I wasn’t sweet enough to write fiction for that age and found myself writing young adult literature instead, which doesn’t require nearly as many tender moments and includes a lot more cursing.

When I'm not writing, I can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. I love to hear from readers, so please drop me a line!

I am represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

Author Photo by Kristi Hedberg Photography

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr/Goodreads

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Trigger by Jill Meengs -- New Release Spy Thriller

Trigger

Jill Meengs

Published by Booktrope

January 27, 2015

Spy Thriller

Jordan Shaw knows the only way to stop the man hunting her is to kill him. She also knows the other men who came after her are dead, some of their blood is on her hands, and she wouldn’t have survived this long without the help of the intriguing and secretive Chase Hudson. Even though she isn’t sure she can trust Chase, she believes she needs him to discover the truth. Two days before, life was pretty good as she backpacked around Europe with her best friend. Now, everything has changed and she may not even live through the night. What started as a summer trip of self-discovery has become a dangerous journey across three countries as Jordan is forced into a world few know exist and even fewer survive. A clandestine international organization that will let nothing stand in their way has put a price on her head. Despite all the uncertainty, there are two things that she is absolutely sure of; she has one chance to out-maneuver a world class killer, and she has to make that move right now.

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About the Author

Jill Postlewait Meengs grew up in a small town on the Oregon Coast. During and after college she spent extended periods of time backpacking in more than 30 countries. She has been to every location she describes in “Trigger” and some of the content is based on her own experiences while traveling. She met her husband, Chad, in the MBA program at Oregon State University. After getting married, they purchased and fully remodeled a house. It was Chad who encouraged, and then bribed her to write her first book, “Trigger.” He says that he very much enjoys watching the flat-screen he purchased as part of their deal. When Jill isn’t reading or writing, she is running, doing yoga or planning her next trip. Jill and Chad live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

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An Angel Torched My Homework & Other Lies by Miche Sipes - Giveaway

An Angel Torched My Homework

& Other Lies

Miche Sipes

YA Paranormal

January 5, 2015

Amazon | Goodreads

Carrie Philips just wants her junior year at Clement Academy to go smoothly. Sure, it’s the first high school in the nation to integrate Norms like her with the Differents. But the Diffs are just typical teenagers with “tiny” genetic anomalies. They’re not really vampires or werewolves or angels or zombies like you see in old movies. The Diffs just have special dietary needs and some unusual abilities. They’re certainly not dangerous or anything—at least that’s what Carrie has always believed, since her dad is a doctor of Different medicine.

But when several of her fellow students are mysteriously assaulted, cracks form in Carrie’s worldview. Cracks she tries to ignore while defending her friends from anti-Diff backlash and solving the mystery of who’s really behind the attacks. Meanwhile, she’s distracted by two criminally cute guys who both seem to like her (and hate each other). Then Carrie uncovers a bombshell that could forever change how Norms and Diffs see each other. So much for a quiet school year.

"What happens when you combine vampires, angels, werewolves and zombies with normal humans? Supernatural insanity! Miche Sipes has created a clever world, filled with lovable characters, unexpected plot twists and lots of humor. I loved this book. 5 stars!" --Lynda Hilburn, author of the Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series

"A refreshing, hilarious blend of every paranormal creature under the sun (or moon), heavy on the fun and light on the angst!" -- Helen Keeble, author of Fang Girl and No Angel

About the Author

Miche Sipes wrote her first play at the age of six and has been writing creatively ever since. Well, if you don’t count the occasional decade-long lapse. Miche has lived in Maryland and Florida, but now calls Colorado home. Whenever she’s not writing—or finding ingenious ways to procrastinate like ironing shoelaces or flossing her cat’s teeth—she can be found hiking in the mountains. Then again, there’s a good chance you won’t find her because she’s probably lost.

WEBSITE: http://michesipes.com/

TWITTER: @MicheSipes

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7255398.Miche_Sipes

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MicheSipes
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/weirdcoloradan/

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Book Review: The Self-Publisher's Ultimate Resource Guide - Joel Friedlander and Betty Kelly Sangent

The Self-Publisher's Ultimate Resource Guide

Joel Friedlander
Betty Kelly Sargent

Non-Fiction Reference
December 18, 2014

Amazon | Goodreads

The Self-Publisher’s Ultimate Resource Guide is the first and largest collection of curated and verified resources for independent authors who plan to publish their own books. Produced by a team with long experience in both traditional and independent publishing, the over 850 resources are listed in an easy-to-use format that includes live links, phone numbers, email addresses and brief descriptive copy. The Guide makes vendors and other resources easy to find by separating them into 33 distinct categories within the 3 main tasks the self-publisher must deal with. How to Prepare, Publish, and Promote their books:

PREPARE
Content & Developmental Editors
Copyeditors & Proofreaders
Indexers
Cover & Interior Book Designers
Image Sources
Illustrators & Cartoonists
Translators
Writing Software
Writers’ Conferences & Workshops Offering Scholarships
Grants and Funding for Writers
Professional & Trade Associations
Best Books on Writing

PUBLISH
eBook Conversion
Print-on-Demand (POD) Printing & Distribution Services
Subsidy Publishers
Short Run Printers
Book Production Software
Best Books on Self-Publishing
Helpful Links

PROMOTE
Website Design for Authors
Social Media Consultants
Book Review Services
Press Release Services & Sources
Best Blogs on Self-Publishing
Book Blog Tours
Marketing & Publicity
Sites to List eBooks
News & Views
eBook Aggregators & Book Distributors
Major Retailers
Writing Contests, Fellowships & Prizes
Book Awards for Self-Published Authors
Consumer Protection 

My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I had very high hopes for The Self-Publisher's Ultimate Resource Guide. I've been following Mr. Friedlander's blog for a long time and have received some great publishing advice there. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this book was not what I was expecting. Be sure to read the blurb--that's what you get--a list of resources.

First of all, it is a great resource guide. The book is a series of lists, containing links to sites offering services for self-published authors. I didn't check every link so I can't vouch for the verity of each individual link. However, I noticed that many links I have bookmarked on my PC were also in the book. I spent hours and hours weeding through the numerous sites out there. This book does it for you, as long as you're okay trusting someone else's research. So, in that it's a huge time-saver!

If you are completely new to self-publishing, please note that this book does not go into anything in detail. I think this book is more for those who are experienced but in need of additional links and information.

If you are looking for a book full of links to services for self-published authors, then this is a great book for you. But if you are looking for an in-depth guide to self-publishing, you'll have to find that elsewhere. I do like the fact that the authors intend to update the book, providing additional links as needed.