Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
TJ’s Ride by J.R. Hamilton (Book Review #280)
So you want to be an author, huh? by an Indian
So you want to be an author, huh? by an Indian
So you want to be an author, huh? Join the queue. Millions of dreamers want to be one, and they are very talented writers with a repertoire of some fancy and obscure words that are seldom used. Their grammar is perfect, and their statement construction is flawless. So it should be a no-brainer for them to write great books that everyone wants to read. Right? Wrong.
Many elements make up a good book. The most important aspect (at least in my opinion) is that the story should come from the heart. When I started to write my book in January of 2010, it took me less than a week to pour my initial thoughts down. However, to expand on the idea, to read over and over again for typos, to tighten the storyline, etc. – took me about fifteen months. Was it worth it? Absolutely. It was a journey down memory lane that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you decide to write a book, don’t hurry. I know…I know…you must be thinking, “it’s easy for you to say.” But believe me, it’s worth it. I too was very impatient in the beginning as I was very eager to have my “masterpiece” out.
My thinking was straightforward. To make people read my book and let them decide if it was worth their time. Unlike seeing a movie (where one spends only 2-3 hours of their time), reading a book is at least a week of their time. So it better be worth it.
Written by An Indian
About the author: The author was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He came to the US in 1989 to New York. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
Website: www.indiawasone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/indiawasone
Twitter: www.twitter.com/indiawasone
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/India-Was-One-Indian-ebook/dp/B004S3OWO0/
Flipkart India: https://www.flipkart.com/india-was-one/p/itmejdh6gt4zzzgk
If you would like a book review click here
Escape from Ancient Egypt – (The Neiko Adventure Saga Book 2) by A. K. Taylor (Book Review #30)
This review is written for Online Book Club.
“I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.”
Neiko is an Indian Admiral and a strong warrior girl of Hawote, the hidden land that coexisted with the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are seven tribes in this story. Neiko is loved by many and has the support and loyalty of her own tribe, and her allies are willing to die for her. The Crackedskulls, Prince Bloodhawk, Raven, and Francesco are all enemies of the Hawote. Many wars have been fought between them for the right to rule the land.
Francesco has visions of becoming the Pharoah of Hawote. His plan entails changing the timeline by eliminating Neiko from the present and poisoning the Bloodhawks and the Ravens. He obtains a crystal stone that gives him the ability to go anywhere he desires or to send someone else to the past, present, or the future. Francesco finds an opportunity to confront Neiko and sends her to Egypt, about three thousand years in the past, during the reign of Ramesses the Great.
What intrigues me is that once Neiko finds herself in this ordeal, she does not panic at all. In fact, she continues along on her merry way and tries to find her friends who have been missing for the past eleven years. She and her friends have to find a way to return to the year 2001 and set things straight for the last time. On their journey, they are captured, enslaved, forced to fight, to marry, and many more wondrous things.
I like the plot of the story and all the action that went with it. The pace was good enough to carry the reader into wanting to know more. It is an excellent choice for kids to read and to enjoy. The way the warrior men supported and protected Neiko after being abandoned for eleven years was admirable. Their bond was unyielding, and Neiko was never treated differently for being a woman. They saw her as a warrior and loved her for who she was.
This book was very hard for me to review as I really do not like to address the hard work of an author in such a way. However, since I have promised myself to be sincere and truthful, I would like to also mention the parts that I did not enjoy.
There is an overwhelming load of characters and names in this book. So many, that I was beginning to wonder how many more are going to be introduced? Having not read book one also did not help. There was a severe lack of backstory and that is a great weakness for this book.
I can’t remember the last time I saw picture illustrations in a novel. A note to authors, if you plan to do such a thing, then make the images big enough to see. In this book they were small, and I could barely understand what it was supposed to display.
This story, in my opinion, is a good young adult book but not a good historical fiction book. There are tiny ancient facts, references, and back-story and in fact, what did exist was quite comical. If you are buying this for a kid, then it is okay, but anyone that has some knowledge on Ancient Egypt will find this book lacking many basic details.
In summary, I would recommend this book for children and young adults only. It has just enough excitement and action to keep the young mind wondering and wanting to know more.
Written by Jeyran Main
Here is how you can buy this book on Amazon:
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Introducing the Messiah by King David (Book Review #448)
Introducing the Messiah by King David
Introducing the Messiah is a religious book containing an interview which happened as an email exchange between King David and a skeptic.
The questions in the book were either personal or religiously inclined which happened to show a balance of both.
Tracer by Cher Smith (Book Review #282)
Tracer is a psychological thriller written about Z Ellis. The Eradication of Violent Crimes has come up with the concept of software that erases the memories of people who have committed horrendous crimes such as mass murders. By replacing the memory and creating a whole new identity, they hope that the individual would lead a normal life without committing any more crimes. Z Ellis is one of these people.
When Gage McAlister, the inventor of such a program meets with Z and begins to doubt whether he did the right thing by taking away Z’s memory and making him believe he is someone else.
The journey Z takes in order to identify what is real and what is fake, is extraordinary. The story is written with explicit intention to create confusion and induce twists to the plot, in order to innovate different scenarios in the reader’s mind, just to read along to find out what happens next.
The literature standard was strong, and the work appeared very well put together. The pace of the story was steady and provided enough world setting to assist the reader in drawing an imaginary picture in their head. The character development, even with the conflicting personalities, was very intriguing. It made a superb recipe for an ideal psychological thriller.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a story to provoke your mind.
This review was kindly requested by Dead Key Publishing
Written by Jeyran Main
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Literature by Guillermo Stitch (Book Review #449)
Literature by Guillermo Stitch
Literature is a sci-fi novella. Billy Stinger is a terrorist that is always strapped for time and has some explaining to do with his life choices. The odds are definitely against him in this thrilling fictional story.
The story is just one day and begins with him showing up later for work, he has not dressed appropriately, and his girlfriend is not happy with him. Billy’s character is interesting in the matter of being so particular. He isn’t necessarily the hero nor is he the anti-hero. The mixture made a difference to this short story.
Kid Friendly Books – (Day 10)
There are hundreds of books written for children, however, how do you know which one is the right one?
In my opinion, if a book has a positive learning message for your child then it is definitely worth finding. At the end of the day, your child takes inspiration, education, and notes from everything they read. Therefore, it’s vital that they exposed to the correct form of information.
A Color of His Own
by (Leo Lionni)
by (Leo Lionni)
This book emphasizes good friends and accepting oneself. It is visually beautiful and carries a very colorful illustration that grabs the child’s interest. The powerful message embedded in this book is what makes this book one of the best ones to have.
Dear You By Derra Nicole Sabo
Dear You
By Derra Nicole Sabo
Genre: Nonfiction
Brief Description:
Dear You is a collection of letters written to the people and events that have made the most impactful influences in my life. This book started out as a personal series of letters to the people I love. Letters filled with memories and life lessons. I began writing these letters after finding out that I was very sick. As each letter was written, certain events and memories began popping into my mind which inspired more letters. Dear You is my way of sharing an underdog story about a girl who was never meant to live, but did. I’ve survived surgeries, bullies, depression and being suicidal. I’ve seen this world at its brightest and at its darkest. Living with a rare disorder has allowed me to see this crazy t hing we call life in a whole different perspective. The main message embedded within Dear You is my message to those out there who feel like giving up, who feel alone or forgotten, those who feel lost…you are worth everything this life has to offer, never ever give up. The book opens and closes with a letter i have addressed to the reader…hence, Dear You.
About the Author
My name is Derra Sabo, I am a Cali native who stumbled into writing as a way to escape the daily life as the freak born with a rare disorder. That disorder being Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB for a non-tongue twisted pronunciation. I was the kid who was never meant to live past the age of 14 and here I am 33 years young. The best way to describe my life is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. My family and friends are my everything. My scars and past demons are my inspiration to never give up. While most of my insomnia nights are filled with writing and tunes vibrating through my beats headphones, my days are my time to spend with my squad, cooking, 
movies, reading, blogging and spending as much time as possible at the beach. I’m the extroverted introvert who loves a good sunset and a caramel macchiato.
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hazeleyes1984
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/derra_nic
On Instagram: @derra_nic
On B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dear-you-derra-nicole-sabo/1127119268?ean=9781786293077
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dear-You-Derra-Nicole-Sabo/dp/1786293072
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Kid Friendly Books – (Day 9)
There are hundreds of books written for children, however, how do you know which one is the right one?
In my opinion, if a book has a positive learning message for your child then it is definitely worth finding. At the end of the day, your child takes inspiration, education, and notes from everything they read. Therefore, it’s vital that they exposed to the correct form of information.
Where the Wild Things Are
This wonderful book is all about its illustrations. it teaches that you can always receive forgiveness at the end of the day and that home is the best place to be.
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