Have your book reviewed on my blog! Five people will receive the honor.
I’ve read excellent books that don’t get the publicity they deserve. More people would buy them if they heard the title and read glowing comments about them. You can increase sales and advance your career if your book gets good reviews. It doesn’t matter if the book is nonfiction or fiction, an e-book, soft cover or hard cover, published by a small publisher or self-published. But it must be published!
To enter the contest, submit one paragraph of 50 words or less saying why your book deserves to be read. Include publisher and where the book is available. The criteria I use is that it better be good! Compelling motivation and believable characters, if it’s fiction. Informative, if it’s nonfiction. I have examples of my reviews right here.
Enter today by e-mailing me at jamathews124@aol.com. Put “contest” on the subject line. Deadline for entry is Nov. 20. You will be notified by e-mail if you are one of the five chosen.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
PASTA FOR MEN ONLY by PATRICIA GAMBARELLI
“I know recipes that work,” Patricia “Pat” Gambarelli told me.
That’s the kind of chef I like to be around!
PASTA FOR MEN ONLY is a collection of recipes with easy-to-follow directions, tasty dishes, and, as an added treat, some background information.
For example:
· “ Dos and Don’ts for Perfect Pasta” — 10 tips
· “Tomato—the Magical Fruit” — the nutritional value and more
· “Basil: King of the Realm” — history and facts about this herb, such as:
► Tear it don’t chop it
► Add it the last five minutes of cooking because heat destroys the sweet flavor
Each recipe has a brief introduction, e.g., page 20: Tomato Sauce with Sweet Sausage.
“I always look for sweet sausage that doesn’t contain fennel.” Pat tells more in four sentences. Fascinating!
What is remarkable about this slim, 124-page book is its numbered steps in the instructions. Pat has made cooking as simple as 1-2-3. Let’s take a peek.
Tomato Sauce with Sweet Sausage
1. In a large saucepan equipped with a cover, heat the oil.
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes and salt.
The instructions have 6 more steps. You are never left to wonder what to do.
Each of the recipes is paired with a suitable wine. This one suggest Zinfandel.
You can imagine that this book isn’t only for men. Women will love it, too.
You can read how the book came about, order the book and read Pat’s blog at her Web site: patriciagambarelli.com. You can e-mail her at letscook@atmc.net.
That’s the kind of chef I like to be around!
PASTA FOR MEN ONLY is a collection of recipes with easy-to-follow directions, tasty dishes, and, as an added treat, some background information.
For example:
· “ Dos and Don’ts for Perfect Pasta” — 10 tips
· “Tomato—the Magical Fruit” — the nutritional value and more
· “Basil: King of the Realm” — history and facts about this herb, such as:
► Tear it don’t chop it
► Add it the last five minutes of cooking because heat destroys the sweet flavor
Each recipe has a brief introduction, e.g., page 20: Tomato Sauce with Sweet Sausage.
“I always look for sweet sausage that doesn’t contain fennel.” Pat tells more in four sentences. Fascinating!
What is remarkable about this slim, 124-page book is its numbered steps in the instructions. Pat has made cooking as simple as 1-2-3. Let’s take a peek.
Tomato Sauce with Sweet Sausage
1. In a large saucepan equipped with a cover, heat the oil.
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes and salt.
The instructions have 6 more steps. You are never left to wonder what to do.
Each of the recipes is paired with a suitable wine. This one suggest Zinfandel.
You can imagine that this book isn’t only for men. Women will love it, too.
You can read how the book came about, order the book and read Pat’s blog at her Web site: patriciagambarelli.com. You can e-mail her at letscook@atmc.net.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
A BETTER MAN by KELLY JOHNSON
I wrote about A BETTER MAN by KELLY JOHNSON on my blog before I switched to writersforever.blogspot.com, but that post was erased, so I thought I’d give more people a chance to hear about the book.
KELLY JOHNSON, writer, lawyer and speaker, wanted to direct her five sons, as well as other boys aged 12 through their teens, to worthy role models. She said that currently boys are looking at musicians, actors and other high-profile men 24 years and younger as role models. She believes men have to have life experiences well beyond their twenties before they can be noteworthy examples for young adults.
After doing research and consulting others, she chose 26 men who fit her criteria. A BETTER MAN is a compilation of essays about and interviews with these men. JOHNSON’S “Editor’s Note” after each entry gives some background about the man and explains why she chose him as a role model. The Honorable HARRY L. CARRICO, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, was the first man to accept JOHNSON'S invitation to be part of the book. She clerked for him after she graduated from law school and writes that he is “the most decent person I’ve ever met.”
JOHNSON’S final list includes men in a wide variety of professions from athletics, the military, politics, the arts and education. Among those featured in the book are former President GEORGE H.W. BUSH, who responded with a letter of his own; former NBA star DOMINIQUE WILKINS; Seattle Seahawks quarterback MATT HASSELBECK; and actor TIM REID. She also wanted to include someone from a faith community, so she asked REV. HECTOR LACHAPELLE, a Catholic priest, for an interview, which he granted.Kelly gets to the heart of the matter in each interview/essay and includes exactly what makes these men remarkable. RISING WRITERS who want to break in by writing essays or by interviewing people can use Kelly's book as a guide. She's a talented and creative writer, who herself can be included in a book on women role models.Information about KELLY JOHNSON and A BETTER MAN, are available at http://www.abettermanbook.com. Let me know what you think about all of this at http://www.jamathews.com.
KELLY JOHNSON, writer, lawyer and speaker, wanted to direct her five sons, as well as other boys aged 12 through their teens, to worthy role models. She said that currently boys are looking at musicians, actors and other high-profile men 24 years and younger as role models. She believes men have to have life experiences well beyond their twenties before they can be noteworthy examples for young adults.
After doing research and consulting others, she chose 26 men who fit her criteria. A BETTER MAN is a compilation of essays about and interviews with these men. JOHNSON’S “Editor’s Note” after each entry gives some background about the man and explains why she chose him as a role model. The Honorable HARRY L. CARRICO, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, was the first man to accept JOHNSON'S invitation to be part of the book. She clerked for him after she graduated from law school and writes that he is “the most decent person I’ve ever met.”
JOHNSON’S final list includes men in a wide variety of professions from athletics, the military, politics, the arts and education. Among those featured in the book are former President GEORGE H.W. BUSH, who responded with a letter of his own; former NBA star DOMINIQUE WILKINS; Seattle Seahawks quarterback MATT HASSELBECK; and actor TIM REID. She also wanted to include someone from a faith community, so she asked REV. HECTOR LACHAPELLE, a Catholic priest, for an interview, which he granted.Kelly gets to the heart of the matter in each interview/essay and includes exactly what makes these men remarkable. RISING WRITERS who want to break in by writing essays or by interviewing people can use Kelly's book as a guide. She's a talented and creative writer, who herself can be included in a book on women role models.Information about KELLY JOHNSON and A BETTER MAN, are available at http://www.abettermanbook.com. Let me know what you think about all of this at http://www.jamathews.com.
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