Hello Readers! Today is cover reveal for Let’s Get Published by Val Penny. Check out beautiful cover of this nonfiction in this post.
Synopsis
At last, a book that is easy to read and tells it how it is! The book was written to assist authors to maximise their success when submitting work to agents or publishers, to help authors consider their priorities and preferences for getting work into print. To advise authors on how to identify the agents and/or publishers they want to approach. It should also assist with editing their manuscript fully prior to submission. The book offers advice about how to prepare a submission package to give an author the best chance of success. The road to becoming a successful author is not easy, but it is rewarding. Let this book take you on the journey.
The cover….
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Author Bio:
Val Penny is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and two cats. She has a Law degree from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, lawyer, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer. However, she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels.
Her crime novels, ‘Hunter’s Chase’ Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force and Hunter’s Blood form the bestselling series The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. They are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by Crooked Cat Books. The fifth novel in the series, Hunter’s Secret, is published by darkstroke. Her first non-fiction book, Let’s Get Published is available now.
Hello Readers! Today I’m pleased to share a snippet from a new non-fiction book by David Oliver, All About Heaven! After David had a battle with cancer, he found himself wondering about his own mortality and thinking about heaven. He’s put all his thoughts into a book called All About Heaven. Check out the excerpt and book details in this post.
All About Heaven by David Oliver Published October 13th 2019 Genre: non-fiction
Synopis:
Many people understand that, at the end of all things, Christ returns, God will create a new heaven and a new earth where those who have trusted in Christ will live with him forever. But what about those who have ‘passed on’ well before this? Where are they now? What does heaven look like? What will occupy us there? When David Oliver faced the death of his son Joel, at the age of 38, following a short and brutal fight with cancer, he set about researching and writing this powerful short book on heaven and committed to write whatever he discovered. Through a thorough examination of the relevant Bible texts, David provides us with a thrilling view of the future and a destiny well worth preparing for, which will enrich our vision and faith.
Excerpt:
Heaven is a Stopover, Not the Final Destination
When I touched my dead son’s body for the very last time, I placed my cheek against his still slightly warm bearded cheek and allowed myself to feel the gentle warmth. In the yawning chasm of loss that was abruptly opening up before me, a question was already forming. Where is Joel now then? Is he unconscious or is he truly in heaven? Why did God take him now? Surely the answer to those questions and more must be found in, where he has gone and what he is doing there?
We know that life after death, i.e. what happens immediately after we die is not all that there is. We could describe it by saying, there is a final destination and a stopover. I have travelled a good deal, often with my wife Gill, and one or more family members. On long-haul trips we often intentionally build in a stopover. The stopover often gets nearly as much attention – and there really are some great places to stopover – but you never forget that while this might be the best place you have visited so far, there is even better to come.
Imagine if on a planned vacation you got the stopover and final destination confused. Confused about where exactly you’d be staying, confused about the culture, confused about what there is to do, confused about who would be there and confused about the sights and sounds, and even the precise location of where you were supposed to be. It’s a limited metaphor, I know, but instead of talking with joy, anticipation and thrill about both places, your conversations would be uncertain, muted, confused and lacklustre. It’s another one of those reasons why Christians talk little and think little about heaven
So if, as we have suggested, the last breath here, the next breath somewhere else. Where exactly is that? There’s no better to starting point than the description of Jesus. On the cross, Jesus turned to one of the two thieves dying with him and said to him, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise.’
People reporting positive near-death experiences often describe the place they glimpsed as being like a beautiful garden. For the Christian, as soon as the spirit is released from the body by death, it has direct access to the presence of the Lord. It is a beautiful garden-like place, and Paul says it is better by far than the best we have here. Alister McGrath explains:
The idea of a walled garden, enclosing a carefully cultivated area of exquisite plants and animals, was the most powerful symbol of paradise available to the human imagination, mingling the images of the beauty of nature with the orderliness of human construction . . . The whole of human history is thus enfolded in the subtle interplay of sorrow over a lost paradise, and the hope of its final restoration.
Just before he died, Roy Castle, described a vision he was having, standing in a most beautiful garden. He said it was indescribable because it was more beautiful than any garden he had seen on earth. He added, ‘I thought I was a gardener, but this gardener’s something else!
David Oliver is the founder of Insight Marketing, an international trainer, speaker and author of 13 books in 29 languages, including ‘Work Prison or Place of Destiny?’ He is married to Gill and they live in Hampshire, England.
I Have (Had) Enough by Jeff Jacobson Publication Date : April 26th 2019 Genre: Non-Fiction / memoir Pages: 195 Stars: Stars: ★★★★★
“Jeff Jacobson is the greatest contemporary American author you’ve never heard of, but it’s time that changed.”
In this profoundly insightful collection, Jeff Jacobson presents a compelling portrait of marriage, parenthood, friendship, and faith. At turns hilarious and excruciating, Jacobson’s stories illustrate our shared human experiences of love and loss and offer fresh insights into the twin dance of pain and grace. The author writes from the heart, gut, and spirit as he mines the everyday to discover life’s essential truths.
“I Have (had) Enough” is better titled “I Have Enough” – enough love for everyone, enough courage to withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fatherhood, and more blessings than a man deserves.
Honest and filled with joy, I Have (had) Enough is a master-class in love, devotion, and embracing grace wherever you find it.
“If Anne Lamotte and David Sedaris had a child, then put him up for adoption in the suburban Midwest, that child would grow up to be Jeff Jacobson.”
*** Note: I received e-copy this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author. ***
I Have (Had) Enough was memoir, a collection of author’s reflection on life, memories lived as a friend, husband and majorly as a father. It was about life experiences, friendship, fatherhood, faith, hope, and love.
After a long time I don’t know how to construct a review. I knew I cannot write a good review of a non-fiction book and much less of an auto-biography and a memoir. It’s the reason I usually don’t read them. But when I got request for this book, I thought I should at least try. It looked different and so it was.
The book is not exactly a memoir of life story. It’s collection of memories and feelings written like all of it was poured in a letter or journal. When I read this, it felt like I was listening Jeff’s speech on stage about every member of his family and loved ones. You know that feeling on hearing a beautiful wedding toast, it was exactly like that. It was unique and beautiful way of telling story.
Book was written in 6 parts. First was introduction of Jeff’s family and loved ones and random childhood memories of Jeff’s four kids. Second part was dedicated to Jeff’s eldest son Gabe, third to twin kids- Tate and Levi, fourth to lovely daughter- Cloe, fifth to best friend Jimmy and sixth to Jesus.
Author started book introducing his wife whom he called hub of the wheel, a central part of his family who kept the family together and running. I got to know how Jeff met Kristie and his love for her. I wish there was more in this first chapter from where his story and his life began. Another person who held important place even after his death in World Trade Center attack was Jimmy, Jeff’s best friend. It was tragic to read about this wonderful person whom I could know through words and feelings of author.
All parts were filled with some lovely, some frustrating, some sad while some tense and worry-filled moments. They were magical to read, written with raw feelings that came alive out of my kindle screen. It showed Jeff’s struggle as parents, journey of life from friendship, marriage, birth of all his children, childhood and teenage years and how they turned into adults bursting Jeff with pride, love, and joy, how he revere Jesus for all he got in life keeping the faith alive. Whether it was screaming and fighting kids or catching a daughter in cage of love, saving one of them from urinal penny or taking to dentist, being friends with their friends or getting their driving license, worry for a boy who is now a man and miles away from home to be marine or for daughter who is going to college… it was all written from heart and soul that I’m sure all parents will feel.
What I loved most was his letters to his eldest and future spouses of his all children. They told about what they should expect from his children, what were their plus points and what were their flaws and his tremendous love for them. I loved to read about Gabe more than any other children.
It was insightful collection of essaysthat inspired and motivated me to cherish the time I have, record all the wonderful moments I’m having with my daughter and at the same time be strong for the tough time and the time when they grow up to live their own life with the faith and trust in God.
Overall, it was thoughtful ocean of love and life of Jeff, I loved to read. I definitely recommend this book.
What do you think about the book and review? Have you read this book already or any book by the same author? Which memoir or autobiography you loved most?
The Doubt Factor by Renée Paule Publication Date: August 2019 Publisher: RPG Publishing Genre: Non-Fiction / Self-help Pages: 123 Stars: ★★★★★
“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” – René Descartes. Renée Paule took this advice to heart in The Doubt Factor – sowing seeds of doubt about a range of topics and giving them the benefit of her unique take on things. She encourages us to use our own powers of reasoning, rather than taking things at face value. Renée writes “Doubt feeds on the fear of imagined consequences, such as making a mistake we may later regret; doubt holds us in a state of indecision … it becomes our master.” She makes a good case that we need to “… learn to doubt intelligently.” – to wield doubt rather than to be wielded by it. There is much in this book to give us pause for thought – perhaps even enough to shake off complacency.
*** Note: I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author. ***
The Doubt Factor was non-fiction, self-help book in which author encourages to seek the truth by implanting the doubt on the age-old beliefs, mindsets, habits, authority, rights and prejudice, human nature, and even on the food, making you question everything and ponder over the true meaning of life.
All topics were insightful and motivational. They had so many things one can discuss over again and again and find something enlightening everytime. The more I read the more I reflected on what was said in the book and how I could reflect it with things around me and in myself. When I was reading this book I jotted down my thoughts, what I understood from it with my own experiences in my life. Shockingly, it was 4 pages long. I’m not going to bore you with that long review. Just one or two line on each essays. So here is what the book and each essay was about and what author portrayed through it.-
Habits– Here author doesn’t say about good vs bad habits and its pros and cons but how it affects our life and thinking. I loved this topic. It motivated me to start getting in routine of exercise that left during pregnancy. The core point of the topic was, sticking to bad habit is going to root us at one place in life while good one helps us grow mentally, physically and spiritually. Escape– How many of us seek escape when something bad happens? All of us, right? There was nothing new here that we don’t know. Escaping is not solution and even after escaping we don’t achieve peace and inner-happiness. So what was different here was examples author gave based on her own experience.
Next in Line– This was a hard truth we all don’t like, ‘we all are replaceable in life and even after death’. Somebody else gets what we wanted and we start throwing tantrums, plot revenge, think bad things about them and ultimately be unhappy about everything. What authors tells here is being selfless, do something in life that is not just good for us but for everybody, world and humanity, to leave something better for our next in line.
The Doubt Factor– In this title essay, author first tells about what doubt does to us. How it can make or break human. Mostly lot of harm comes with doubt but sometimes there is truth behind it as well that lead us to discovery. So doubt intelligently, not be blinded by misleading information, clear the confusion and so bad doubts making space for positive and wonderful things.
Rights and Prejudice– Now one can have endless discussion on this. Many times I encountered people who wrongly claimed rights on even smallest things and prejudiced people, gender, religion and so on. When I couldn’t bear it any more I tried to put forward points that might change their mind and thoughts but all in vein. When I read discussion in this book, I realized what I was doing wrong. I cannot change anybody’s mind. It’s not in my hand. Change should come from that person’s heart and it won’t happen by me telling them, they have to do it.
On Being Bored tells about retraining our mind and thoughts rather than being productively and constructively bored. Food for Thoughts was about strong mentality. What and how we are feeding our body and mind is important, it’s all about will and determination. We are the One was a topic that was discussed over and over in all previous books by author and this was a brush up on it. One can affect all and one can change all. We cannot turn away from society because we don’t like some people some age old rules or thoughts. We created such society and it’s up to us to change it. We are part of society and we will be no matter where we go. This was really insightful for me. Don’t get me started was kind of mixed topic but all it says is, change the education style, leave behind bloody history and war and instill wisdom and humanity. Worldly possessions are not going to stay all our life or follow us in our grave but love, compassion, self-reflection and wisdom will stay till and after death.
Authority– I loved concept in this. The true authority is control over our thoughts, action, and ourselves. It’s presence of good and absence of evil. Another favorite topic was mindset. I’m told person leaves his/her character in grave, it stays the same all their life, no one can change it. Whoever now is going to tell me this I’m going to slap this essay on their face. You must see some situation where we are told to just go along with how things are because we cannot change people and their mindset and it’s futile to even try, it’s like ‘let a bully, bully you’ situation. Mindsets can be changed, it takes time and maybe some miraculous experience for some but it’s not impossible.
In a nutshell, author talked about inner happiness, clearing the confusion by clearing the doubts, change of heart, self-reflection, strengthening the mind and will, seeking wisdom, a true authority on ourselves by being selfless and removing evil, negative thoughts, and doing right and good thing in life, be a kindred spirit and bring change in our life and so in society. It’s these things we are going to take with us after death not worldly possessions.
Overall, it was inspirational, motivational and very insightful collection of essays. I highly recommend this book if you’re into self-help books.
What do you think about the book and review? Have you read this book already or any book by the same author? Are you going to add it to TBR? Which is your favorite self-help or nonfiction book?
Hello book lovers! today I’m happy to share my review as part of blog tour for Do Bugs Wear Shoes?, organized by Rachel @Rachel’s Random Resources. many thank to Rachel for tour invite and to author for providing review copy of this wonderful book. I hope you enjoy this post.
Do Bugs Wear Shoes? by Addie Broussard, Anthony Puttee
Publication Date: October 31st 2018 Publisher: Two Umbrellas Media Read Date: October 30th 2018 Genre: Non-Fiction / Children’s book / Educational Target Age: Children’s – ages 4 – 10 Page: 36
Stars: 5/5
A colorful, fun-filled book packed with answers to all your silliest bug questions! Learn what happens when a bug goes to space, to school, and to the gym. Find out if bugs have feelings like people do. Discover robot bugs, dancing bugs, bugs that poop and so much more! Filled with illustrations, photographs and interactive videos, Do Bugs Wear Shoes will have kids laughing and learning as they discover awe-inspiring facts about the insect world. This beautifully designed book is organized into colorful two-page spreads that each focus on a different question, making it easy and fun to read for children and big kids alike.
BOOK EXTRAS include videos and printable worksheets for extended learning. Great for educators and at-home learning.
PLUS, vote on the world’s most beautiful bug!
Recommended for ages 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and up.
Don’t miss out on the chance to bug out!
This was an educational scientific picture book on entomology telling about the bugs and insects and different classes of insects, varieties, how bugs are different from insects, some fun facts and scientific findings.
Author has collected many info in just few pages of the book starting from what is entomology to classification, importance of scientific names, and so many unbelievable facts that I didn’t know before like- strongest, smallest, loudest bug, bug dance and poops and also if bugs can survive in space and Antarctica. It was amazing to read about such interesting things that teacher can teach kids in classroom. There were activity questions at end of some chapters that kids would enjoy finding answers to.
I loved all macro pictures of insects and bugs along with the illustrations in the book. There were links at the end of the book for additional information and videos on the publisher website that curious kids would love to explore. Most exciting thing is there is Bug book art pack available on publisher’s website as well that you can download for free ⇒ Here ⇐ (Don’t forget to check out the resource link available below to get Cool Halloween Art Pack.)
This was newer fun way for kids to learn and author made it enjoyable with colorful graphics and text with simple approach. It will definitely raise curiosity in kids and involve them in discussion, even those who are less interested in this subject.
Overall, this was colorful educational and a perfect classroom book I recommend to all teachers and kids.
Author Bio:
Two Umbrellas is an educational publishing company that fuses education and storytelling. We offer books and activities to help parents and educators empower tomorrow’s leaders.
Our founders, Anthony Puttee and Addie Broussard, love to travel. Anthony’s favorite trip was to Antarctica and he has included some of his personal photos in this book. Addie has traveled solo around the world. While in Portugal, she encountered a unique insect, which inspired a children’s book called The Beedog, which was published in 2018. The idea for Do Bugs Wear Shoes came from a playful team meeting on a rooftop in Mexico.
*** Note: I received review copy of this book from the author as part of blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. ***
What do you think about the book and my review?
Have you read this book already or any book by this author before?
Are you going to add it on your TBR?
Two Umbrellas is an educational publishing company that fuses education and storytelling. We offer books and activities to help parents and educators empower tomorrow’s leaders.
