Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
Essential Life Skills For Teens by David Skiddy (Book Review #1302)
‘Essential Life Skills For Teens’ is a non-fictional self-help book written to help all those who wish to move out of their family home and live a more independent life.
Read MoreI Love You Because…by Autumn Fleming (Book Review #1301)
‘I love you because…’ is a children’s book and is a beautiful tale about the mother’s love and continuous devotion towards providing all the positive energy a child needs. As you read along, you are captivated by all the lovely illustrations and how sweet a mother’s love is for their child.
Read MoreOn Rosy Lane by Rose Elaine (Book Review #1300)
On Rosy Lane is a woman’s fiction story and is about how Rose fights to keep Rose Elaine after her mother passes away. The manor means a lot to her as it has been a place of refuge for over a hundred years. Unfortunately for Rose, her family has different plans for this beautiful place, and that’s how you realize to what extent Rose will go not to lose the Manor and what it stands for.
Read MoreAn Interview with Terdell Lee Johnson
How do you schedule your life when you’re writing?
I take a strategic approach to assure movement in the story. Previously, I used Google calendar to pick the days that I’m going to write and block out about two hours. Currently, I have a white board and I write the day of the week and the number of words that I want to write that day. Usually, it rangers between one thousand to two thousand words on the weekends and about five hundred words on the weekdays. When I set this goal, I keep it. That the best way to finish a book—set a goal and keep it.
Where did you get your information or idea for your book?
Since I write fiction, I have been inspired by multiple places. The first is always from God Himself. Every idea of creativity comes from Him. It’s humbling to have the ability to create environments and characters and I want to make sure to honor God for that—without Him I can do nothing. Secondly, movies also give me some creative sparks. I have a habit of playing my favorite movie scenes with my back turned. I imagine certain characters in that scene—odd, but it works for me. Finally, reading great writers aids the creative juices too. Read. Read. Read.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, I’m reading. If I’m not reading, I’m working on digital drawings and paintings of my characters. I find digital painting peaceful; almost therapeutic. In the stillness, it’s just me and the canvas. Painting is another way of expressing myself and its fun too! When it comes to reading, I stay withing my genres of Middle Grade and the classics. Recently, I re-read the Lord of The Rings and the classic, Pinocchio, is on my reading list next. Other than that, I’m attending church, playing board games with friends and learning some business techniques on the side.
What was one of the most surprising thing you learned in creating your book?
Writing a book is fun, but I learned that it takes rewriting to perfect it completely. The Hapless Hero took four rewrites before I was happy with it. Then I joined a critique group with a writing coach and discovered that I had more fine tuning to do. Even when you think your story is done, have someone (other than your friends and family) to read it. I discovered that I had to fix plot holes, work on character arches, and delete unnecessary scenes that I thought were working. The effort it takes to write a story is hard work.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
To be honest, it takes me awhile to process. In this era of social media, people are cruel and sometimes no reason at all. However, the best practice is not to respond. The second practice is to understand that everyone will not like my story. My story is inspired by Christianity and many people are put off by it. I’m not ashamed of this; I have to turn the other cheek as Jesus commands. People have the right to their opinions—even if I disagree with them. Striking back is unwise and doesn’t do any good in the long run.
Book title: The Judges Chronicles: The Hapless Hero
Author Name: Terdell Lee Johnson
Pub Date: Sept 28, 2020
ISBN: 9781666283372
Book Category/Genre: Middle Grade/ Young Adult
Page Count: 190
Publisher: Barnes and Noble/ Kobo/ Apple Books
Rose From the Moon by Ilda Kunic (Book Review #1299)
Rose from the Moon is a collection of poetry about love. And what is love? The cosmic soul is definitely expressed here. This is a good read, and its vivid descriptive writing provides the best experience for those who enjoy poetry.
Read MoreMixed Realities by Naomi Augustine (Book Review #1298)
Mixed Realities is a collection of science fiction stories filled with anthologies. Although it is a relaxing read, the premise keeps you intrigued and on edge. All 7 stories are about the universe and are thought-provoking.
Read MoreRooty the Rutabaga by Steven Megson (Book Review #1297)
Rooty the Rutabaga is a children’s book and is about a root vegetable that isn’t very popular. Root is in the dark part of the garden and does not feel included with all the known vegetables. Together with all of the other existing vegetables, they find a way to include Root, teaching children about inclusivity and friendship.
Read MoreSin Eater by Amanda Denham (Book Review #1296)
Sin Eater is a Contemporary fantasy story filled with paranormal and urban elements. The story begins with Jayde Holloway and her ability to wipe out memories. For some, this could be a great power to have, but for her, it’s not. Especially when she accidentally removes her best friend, Jenny’s memory.
Read MoreMAYBE I WILL BY MALIA ARRIES
After sharing with one of my dearest friends the extraordinary occurrences that my siblings and I journaled during the time Dad was dying, and two years later, during the time Mom was dying, she told me I should write a book about them. I responded, “Maybe I will.”
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