Readers' Favorite

September 12, 2015

"Heavy Metal Hotness" ~ Bullet (Special Edition) by Jade C. Jamison

Epic Re-Release of Bullet, Jade C. Jamison’s first book in the Bullet Series. Limited Time Only
Bullet special:

                           


The story you love–now bigger and better than ever!

~ ~ ~

An Epic Rock Star Novel

What if you discover the man you want is toxic?

She tasted a little bit of heaven with him, and now they’ve gone through hell and back, but can their relationship take anymore?

Valerie Quinn is a naïve college freshman when she meets on-the-rise rock star Ethan Richards. He’s an idealistic, handsome, reckless young man, but he’s captured her heart. She doesn’t give up on him and eventually his walls crumble down. By the time Valerie has given herself to him completely, she discovers he’s damaged and may be beyond help. Can she save Ethan and their relationship before he implodes, or will he self-destruct and take her with him?
                                             


****************************************************************

First and foremost, if you are reading this, you need to know that this edition of Bullet will be on sale for a limited time only.  I will be selling it for three months and then it will be gone forever, so if you want your copy, snatch it up now!

The first fifty orders will get a limited edition FULLY AUTOMATIC guitar pick with their book!

Here’s what you get in this special edition:
•Updated cover
•373 pages of awesomeness! 😉 (These are the BIG pages like the original paperback!)
•Bonus chapter (new last chapter with scenes that occur after the original Bullet and in the timeline between Rock Bottom and Feverish)
•Lots of additional material having to do with the Bullet universe (alternate POV scenes, additional scenes, and a deleted scene)
•First glance at Zane’s book (Bullet #6)

When summer’s over…say bye-bye to this special edition.  It will never be available in any other format and it will never be available again.

I will also sign every copy and will even personalize upon request.  Want to check it out already?

https://squareup.com/market/jade-c-jamison/bullet-special-edition?square_lead=item_embed



Buy books in the Bullet series at Amazon



Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

September 11, 2015

Celebrating Literacy

by Donna Huber




The ability to read is something I often take for granted. I have been blessed with intelligence and access to education.

I know there are children in undeveloped nations that barely have access to food let alone education, yet one of the best ways out of poverty is through education. But even in industrialized nations there are people who cannot read or write.

My senior year of high school I couldn't fit the advanced level of a required course into my schedule and took the average class. As one who had always been on the advance track there were kids in my class that I knew but had little interaction with.

I vividly remember being grouped together with a few classmates to do an assignment. I didn't want to the be the answer taker as that meant that I gave all the answers. Of course the guys in the group weren't going to do it so the only other girl made an attempt and I instantly felt horrible as she struggled to write the first answer. She barely could write simple words.

I had taken for granted that everyone in my class could read and write on more than an elementary level. A total eye opener... especially when a few months later I watched her walk across the stage to get her diploma. I always wondered what came of her.

Tuesday was International Literacy Day and I share my memory in hopes of bringing the problem a little closer to home.


Literacy Day
Used with permission from Grammarly

There are a number of programs that get books into the hands of children. If you can't find a local group, then donate to your local library or volunteer to read at a local school. Together we can win the fight for literacy.


photo credit: via photopin (license)
Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

September 10, 2015

Writing a blog post worth reading

by Donna Huber

If you are going to take the time to write a blog post, you want people to take the  time to read the post, right? People will only want to read it if they think it is worth their time. These tips will help you to write a blog post worth reading.


A blog post worth reading starts with a great headline. 

You want something that is eye catching, asks a question or evokes emotion. Think about the headline as the first impression a reader will have with your content. You want to make it so they HAVE to click on it because their curiosity is piqued.

I'm sure we have all seen the click bait posts on Facebook - 'and you'll never believe what happened next!" How often have you clicked on the story? And you know what else we learn from these click bait posts? Headlines don't have to be original for people to click on them.

Outside of the title you actually give the post, you may want to have 3-5 alternate titles (read more: What to Title Your Post.). These titles can be used when promoting on social media, especially Twitter. It is also a good way to test headlines. Do more of your followers click through when you use a sound bite from your review rather than when they just see 'Review: Great Book by Awesome Author'? The results can help you formulate better titles in the future.

Oh, and just because I said a great post starts with a headline doesn't mean that you have to start your writing with an awesome headline. It may take you to the end of the post to figure out just what you want to title the post. I've already changed my mind twice!

You captured the reader with your headline, now follow through with awesome content.

Whether the reader stays to read the article or not depends greatly on the opening paragraph. I know I struggle with how to start a post.

Think about the main point of your post. What about that topic is mostly likely going to hook a reader?

For my tips posts there is typically a problem to be solved. For example, today's post is about getting people to actually read a post. So my opening paragraph frames the problem the article hopes to solve.

A review post may start off with asking a question, "When was the last time you stayed up all night because you just couldn't put the book down? The new novel by Awesome Author kept me up way past my bedtime just because I had to know what happened". Or perhaps use the opening line(s) from the book to start your post.

How did I do with today's opening paragraph?

Next comes the layout. 

When I first started Girl Who Reads, every article was about using bullet points and subheadings to break up content. It is still true that you should use these formatting tools, but there is more to a blog post worth reading than just numbered lists.

Something I learned in a business writing workshop about writing good emails was that white space mattered. This is particularly important as more people read on smaller screens. A wall of text is bound to turn anyone away, quickly.

Instead you want short paragraphs.

I know you are remembering what your elementary language arts teacher told you - a paragraph requires 3 - 5 sentences at least. On the digital screen though it may be easier to convey information with only 1 or 2 sentences in a paragraph. The "experts" say you should have no more than 3 sentences in a paragraph.

Dress up your post with pretty pictures.

Images are important. It helps with the "wall of text" but it also can help readers remember things. Also, it will enhance your post promotion on the more image focused social media networks.

As book bloggers we have a built in image for every post - book covers! However, you may want to add in another image or two.

You may noticed that I occasionally include a "title photo" (see Alison's post from yesterday for an example). I usually use them for the discussion type posts, but I'm thinking of making some banner type images for the reviews like you see with blog tours. I'm not sure about copyright usage though. (It might be something authors want to think about when sending review requests).

I like using Photopin.com and Wikimedia for finding free stock images. They provide the appropriate attributions and info on the license so you know if you can legally use the image on your blog or not. Wikimedia also includes images in the public domain.

For more on using images in your posts, see


Don't forget the final touches.

You have an eye-catching headline, interesting content, and a nice layout, but there are still a couple of things to do before clicking publish.

Be sure to proof read your post. You may have excellent points to make, but you can quickly lose readers if your post is marred by typos and grammatical errors. I know I struggle with this and that's why I try to write my posts a few days in advance of the publication date because it can be difficult to spot the mistakes right after I finish writing.

For more proof reading tips, read 5 Tips for Proof Reading Your Own Posts.

Once you have people on your blog, you will want to keep them on your site. You can do this with linking to relevant posts on your blog. One method is how I did it in this post. Another way is at the end. I have a widget that puts "You might also like" suggestions at the end of every post, but you can also do your own.


Top photo credit: wonton blogging via photopin (license) text added

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

September 9, 2015

How to Prep for the Fall Movie Season: A Reader’s Guide

by Alison DeLuca




The nights are starting to come a little faster, and I want to know where summer went! Somehow three months of beach, parties, and family trips flew by while I was checking Netflix (or so it seems.) Still, there are a lot of things I love about fall: apple cider, pumpkin everything, and another football season.

I’m also looking forward to the fall movie season. It’s no secret I’m a big Tom Hiddleston fan, and he has two big flicks coming out this autumn. I’m not a huge horror flick person, but Crimson Peak looks amazing. Naturally Tom in high collars and frock coats has a lot to do with that. 

So the first way to prepare for fall is to start reading a few scary books. This will accomplish two things at once: get me in the Halloween mood and prepare me for Crimson Peak. Maybe if I survive N0S4A2 by Joe Hill and Darker Places by Shaun Allan, I can sit through the movie without spilling my popcorn too much.

cover John Dies At the End
Along those lines… I was never a big Goosebumps fan, but the movie looks like a lot of fun. The perfect pairing is John Dies At the End. It’s funny and scary at the same time, in the same vein as the movie (I hope!)

I wrote about Red Rising before. I was a bit underwhelmed by the novel, but I’m really looking forward to The Martian. I love engineering and a gritty survival tale – it’s why Apollo 13 is one of my favorites. Obviously the way to get excited for this film is to read the novel. I’m in the middle of it now, and the details of day-to-day life for an astronaut left behind on Mars (how to get water, food, and oxygen as well as a message back to Earth) is fascinating.

Watching the new Bond film is a tradition in my family. The Daniel Craig Bond’verse is one of my favorites, although I’ve enjoyed them all. So I can’t wait to catch Spectre, the new film. A confession: I’ve never been a fan of the books, though – the originals are filled with period-typical misogyny. So I’ll look for my thriller elsewhere, and what better than the new continuation of the Stieg Larsson books? The Girl in the Spider’s Web got a great write-up on Kirkus, the reviewer saying “Larsson fans won’t be disappointed.”

Of course there are a lot of other fall necessities. Comfy sweaters, honeycrisp apples, and warm duvets will make the chilly months cosier. Probably I won’t do a stellar decorating job on my front stoop with hay bales and scarecrows again – I fully expect my fall scheme will the same as last year.

I doubt I’ll make a ton of pies or learn how to create my own pumpkin spice.


However, a few movie nights and lots of great books will make this fall a wonderful season.









Top photo credit: "Maple-oliv2". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

September 8, 2015

Review: Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet DeLee

by Claire Rees


cover Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts

On a cold and blustery March afternoon, Ginny Lawther sat in the modern and well-appointed kitchen of her best friend, Cathy Saunders. The kitchen was cozy and warm, filled with the aroma of brewing coffee. The two women stared intently at Ginny's laptop[ scree as the sat together, reading the ad Ginny created for her brainchild - the Ideal Life Club.









The Review

In Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet DeLee, a group called ‘The ideal life club’ is put together to try to encourage people to pursue a dream by a local well known author Ginny Lawther.

The group was to help them to focus and provide support for each other as they tried to reach their goals.  The first meeting goes well with five people turning up. They each write down what  their long term goal is and what their first step towards achieving this goal would be.

Throughout the story we hear from each of the characters and accompany them on their journey to get them closer to their goals.

I very much enjoyed this book as each character's goals and lives seem so different from each other but as the story continues they become much closer. The end had a little bit of a surprise in it that I did not see coming and it added to the feel good part of the story.

A feel good happy story, with a few sad moments, Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts kept me turning page after page, giving me a warm fuzzy feeling through out.


I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story line that will make you feel good and wonder about the supernatural.


Buy Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts at Amazon



Book info:
available formats: ebook and print
published: May 2015
ISBN13: 9781511656221
genres: mystery, women's fiction
source: author
read: August 2015



Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.



September 7, 2015

Robert Eggleton: Social Science Fiction

Rarity from the Hollow integrates serious social issues into its narrative. Historically, speculative fiction has fueled social activism, debate, and the adoption of evolving or devolving social policy depending on one’s values. In 380 B.C., Plato envisioned a utopian society in The Republic and that story represented the beginning of a long string of speculations: ecology, economics, politics, religion, technology, feminism….  In the 1970s, Ursula K. LeGuinn, was credited with coining the term, “social science fiction” to distinguish the subgenre.

The characters in Rarity from the Hollow express strong beliefs about right and wrong from a subcultural perspective, as do I by the inclusion of social commentary in the story. Today, whether or not consumers will buy stories that are more than simple escapism is a question being asked by writers, publishers, and filmmakers. Young adult and romance stories dominate fiction. India is perhaps one of the last industrialized nations to join the social science fiction community. The success of the upcoming film, Paani, a dark science fiction drama may, in part, answer that question for Hindi speakers.

The impact of speculative fiction on my personal world view began in the 1960s when Ellison, Aldiss, Herbert and others wrote about the stuff that many American teens at the time were reflecting upon – social and political issues at a tumultuous time. Protests against increasing militarism during the Vietnam War were fueled by the writings of Ellison and Vonnegut. Speculative fiction back then was more than escapism, as evidenced by Ursula Le Guinn winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards in 1970.

cover Rarity from the HollowMore recently, consider the increase in GLBTQ literature in all genres, including fantasy and science fiction. Social / political / economic issues are addressed. Did these titles increasingly being released, and the popularity of television shows such as Modern Family, influence the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that same-sex marriage was a Constitutional right? Of course, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do believe that speculations sparked by artists in every venue have at least a subliminal impact on each of us, an impact that transcends our own prejudices, traditions and belief systems.

Rarity from the Hollow is speculative fiction written in colloquial voice that satirically and comically addresses the (1) need to improve systems for the prevention of child abuse, not only in America, but world-wide; (2) duty to internationally recognize that war trauma can cause PTSD for which veterans, out of respect for their service and irrespective of which side of the battle, deserve mental health treatment; (3) moral obligation to research the medicinal use of marijuana for the treatment of mental health problems as an alternative to pharmaceuticals produced by big drug companies; (4) advantages of creating economic options for workers living in impoverished communities to enable self-sufficiency.

Think about peanut butter and Rarity from the Hollow will make more common sense. At the 2013 International Skoll Forum, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, born in Bangladesh but he traveled extensively in India, reportedly said something like, “We have science fiction and science follows….” Muhammad Yunus heads a company that loans money to entrepreneurs who live in impoverished areas and who would not otherwise qualify for financial assistance.

Again consider the concept that speculative fiction can fuel social activism and apply it to the big problem of malnutrition in the world. Dr. Mark Manary of America headed a scientific breakthrough in the processing of peanut butter that is having a significant impact on the social problem of child malnutrition. It’s called a ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and is made in Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. The lives of thousands of African children have already been saved by RUTF.

Reading Rarity from the Hollow is like eating peanut butter. The story is a little sticky with issues and tissues at times, but it nourishes, and tastes good.

Buy Rarity from the Hollow at Amazon


About the author:
Robert Eggleton has served as a children's advocate in an impoverished state for over forty years. He is best known for his investigative reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997, and which also included publication of models of serving disadvantaged and homeless children in the community instead of in large institutions, research into foster care drift involving children bouncing from one home to the next -- never finding a permanent loving family, and statistical reports on the occurrence and correlates of child abuse and delinquency. Today, he is a recently retired children's psychotherapist from the mental health center in Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in helping victims cope with and overcome physical and sexual abuse, and other mental health concerns. Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel and its release followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn Adventures in magazines: Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/ Robert continues to write fiction with new adventures based on a protagonist that is a composite character of children that he met when delivering group therapy services. The overall theme of his stories remains victimization to empowerment.
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The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

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