Book Review - The Great Zoo of China

The Great Zoo of China

By: Matthew Reilly
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: January 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4767-4955-6
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: March 14, 2015

Matthew Reilly resurrects medieval creatures and gives them the spotlight in his latest thriller, The Great Zoo of China.

The Chinese government has carefully guarded their secret for forty years, afterall, it takes time to perfect the re-evolution of dragons. Soon they will release the proof of their existence to the world. In the final stages of doing just that, the final step has arrived. With the arrival of New York Times reporters along with expert on reptiles, Dr. Cassandra Jane “CJ” Cameron (currently a writer for National Geographic), China is finally standing in the wings of recognition as the creator of the most incredible zoo in the world.

Gathered in the theatre for a brief presentation before the tour, CJ and the rest of the esteemed visitors are about to witness the protected forty year secret of the Chinese government. Assured by their Chinese hosts the shock and awe of the American visitors will barely be contained once they have the opportunity to witness the beasts, dragons, which they are assured are perfectly safe and nothing can possibly go wrong. Perhaps arrogance clouded the Chinese naiveté or maybe they hadn’t calculated precisely enough the power of the beasts they were about to unleash for the world to see...

Matthew Reilly is every kid’s dream come true when it comes to taking the impossible and putting it to reality in a book. Not since the emergence of Jurassic Park has there been a story that could top such a premise. This is to say until Reilly decides to replace those dinosaurs with the real “Knights of the Roundtable”: dragons! At no time does this story drag with too much scientific explanation or ad nauseum dialogue. Rather, Reilly grabs his audience, spends the first couple of chapters outlining the scientific credibility and the balance of the book rips through page upon page of high action adventure. Reilly portrays epic battle beast upon beast and the blood, gut and gore that is worthy of survival of the fittest only to draw the reader back to a “…meanwhile, on the other side of the park…” moment. There are no twenty minute long, scientific words which is brilliant! Rather, Reilly cuts to the chase with crisp sentences linked together one upon the next to blast a power shot of a paragraph into the reader’s face. Mr. Reilly has earned the title of “International Bestselling Author” and with books like The Great Zoo of China, there is no question his throne and title shall remain intact. Well done, Mr. Reilly! This was a roller coaster of a read and I look forward to the next ride.

Quill says: The next time you visit a zoo, take a moment to consider: “Are we observing the animal...or is the animal observing us?”

Book Review - Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lydia’s Egg-citing Farm Adventure

Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia’s Egg-citing Farm Adventure

By: Lidia Bastianich
Illustrated by: Renée Graef
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: February 2015
ISBN: 978-0762451265
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: March 14, 2015

What fun! It’s a sleepover party at Nonni Lidia’s house! All the grandchildren have come and the night gets off to a great start as they tell stories in the living room. One story scares Julia and Lorenzo teases her, saying, "Don’t be such a chicken!" Well, gosh, that sure gets Nonni going – telling the kids all about chickens and eggs and all the amazing things they provide.

Nonni begins by talking about her childhood, how she grew up on a farm, and helped take care of the family’s chickens. She tells her grandchildren about the chickens’ personalities and how they provided food for the whole family. Story time soon comes to an end and it’s off to bed for the children.

The next morning Nonni makes an egg-celent frittata for everybody and gets Miles to help prepare the meal. Realizing the children don’t know much about chickens (no, they really don’t start life at the grocery store), it’s time for a trip to a real farm. Soon the gang is headed off to “Hobbs Family Organic Poultry Farm” to learn all about chickens and eggs.

Author Lidia Bastianich is an accomplished author, with numerous cookbooks to her credit. She also enjoys sharing her love of cooking with children through her ‘Noona Tell Me a Story’ series. In this third book in the series, children will learn where some of their food comes from, enjoy a nice story, and get to try their hand at cooking. The author has included several savory recipes in the back of the book, with notations on what children can do to help prepare each meal. The soft, lovely illustrations by Renée Graef add that perfect ‘cozy feel’ that reminds readers of enjoying mealtime with their favorite grandmother. While the text may be a bit long for younger readers (ages 4 and lower), older children who love to cook will find the book delightful.

Quill says: A fun story that teaches children where their food comes from and will encourage them to give cooking a try.

Book Review - The Liar

The Liar

By: Nora Roberts
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: April 2015
ISBN: 978-0399170867
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: March 12, 2015

With over 200 delicious novels to her credit, Ms. Roberts offers up her latest delicacy: The Liar.

Rendezvous Ridge is nestled in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. There is no fanfare and big city lights. Rather, it’s Shelby Foxworth’s humble beginnings. After a handful of years away and a tragic end to her troubled marriage, Shelby comes to her senses and realizes big cities aren’t the healing power she and her toddler, Callie, need. It’s time to reconnect with the only family that ever gave a darn about her. It wasn’t easy to accept defeat and failure—now faced with the exorbitant debt in the wake of her husband’s death. To add to her troubles, the truth about Richard (or whatever his real name was), rears its ugly head increasingly the further Shelby is faced with making matters right. It isn’t long before she learns the stranger she shared a bed with and created a beautiful child with wasn’t much more than a crafty con-man and she was the pawn who was left behind to clean up his messes.

With resolve to head back to Rendezvous Ridge, Shelby tables grief and hunkers down to turning her life around. There is no judgment or ‘I told you so’s’ when she goes back to her roots. Rather, her parents welcome her with open arms and set to doing what loving parents do: provide shelter from their child’s storm and space to afford her the time to heal. How fortunate for Shelby handsome Griffin Lott would be a major factor in her journey forward. He doesn’t stand much on a person’s past and he makes no bones about how instantaneously smitten he is with the redheaded beauty. Indeed, life as Shelby knew it was pointing in a positive direction once home. This is, however, until some unfinished business from her past manages to catch up with her.

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to review Ms. Roberts’ advance copy of The Liar. Regardless of whether it is a first-time author or a seasoned veteran, the bottom line comes down to this: ‘was this an engaging and well-written book?’ Simply put, yes it was! I was immediately immersed into this story because of the natural and signature style Nora Roberts owns. This writer knows how to set her anchor and immediately establish plot. Ms. Roberts’ distinctly crafted voice continues to age more gracefully with each novel she delivers. Her writing is like sipping a fine wine and her character development exudes credibility. There is no over-the-top ‘glam’ that has been peppered with ridiculous impossibilities. Rather, in the case of The Liar, a single mom is faced with a real dilemma: ‘how could I have been so wrong about the man I thought I knew and loved?’ This is a possibility for anyone and Ms. Roberts takes the premise and runs with it. There is a familiar and comfortable flow throughout this story—the breaks between prose and dialogue are spot on and complement each other beautifully. It is no wonder Nora Roberts’ novels consistently find themselves on the NYT Bestsellers List. It’s an inevitability when a novelist sees her end in sight at the very beginning and focuses on the essence of great writing: treat the audience to the coveted escape they desire. Thank you for the pleasure of reviewing The Liar Ms. Roberts. I’ve been a fan of your work for many years and once again you have delivered!

Quill says: The Liar has come along just in time. It’s a must have, great read for that summer vacation this year!

Book Review - By Trolley Past Thimbledon Bridge

By Trolley Past Thimbledon Bridge

By: Ashley Bryan
Illustrated by: Marvin Bileck
Publisher: Alazar Press
Publication Date: 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9793000-4-2
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: March 12, 2015

Ashley Bryan and Marvin Bileck team up and deliver a fanciful rendition of the experience of riding By Trolley Past Thimbledon Bridge; a story originally born from the Virginia Woolfe Estate.

Thimbledon Bridge is not a place, it is a fantastical destination. It is where seeds can be cultivated by parents of all walks of life and if properly planted, the glory is to watch the magic unfold through the expression of the enraptured and curious child. There is a story behind this story that is quite interesting. Before diving into the adventure, the book opens with just that: “The Story Behind the Story.” It would seem this has been in the making for many decades. Since the 1970’s, M. Bryan has made a multitude of efforts to present By Trolley Past Thimbledon Bridge to a vast audience.

The journey begins with a suggestion to consider what is real and what is not through several stanzas of whimsical poetry. The story’s adventure is supported by taking the reader through a series of events and terrain to ultimately arrive at Thimbledon Bridge. The premise is perfect and can appeal to the willing wee one anxious to consume a story before drifting away to his or her slumber land for another night’s rest.

Here is where this book falls short for me...

While it is truly one of the most beautifully illustrated books I have seen in many years, the layout/format is cluttered. Speaking from my own experience, my husband and I spent countless months and years with both of our daughters night after night exposing them to some of the iconic and classic children’s stories—the likes of the team of Van Allsberg and Helprin as well as the beloved Hans Christian Andersen, to name a few. In all aspects, their books were superbly laid out and beautifully written in that the illustrations were supported and complemented with the assistance of the footnote on each page of the words. They are easy to ready, but it is clear the focus was on the art to capture and engage the young reader to listen to the clearly written words at the bottom of each page in order to learn the magic of escape. Reading is a learned behavior and if we are to continue to transcend the importance of a love for reading with our children, it all begins with beautifully illustrated stories that have a balance of words that support the artwork in a format that is age old and works. This book has both facets of captivating artwork and engaging story, but has missed the mark in how it is laid out. The entire story is displayed in poetic stanza format in the first couple of pages. The illustrations are not too many or too few to complement the story; but thereafter, there are a series of pages that follow with an overabundance of artistry that is compromised but the wispy words floating above the overly-illustrated pages. I do agree with the accolades this story has received in that both artistry and words were destined to come together. Sadly, the way the book is currently laid out takes away from its beauty because of the clutter. I dare say the format this book is currently in will be quite frustrating for a parent to read to his or her child in a manner that will maintain attention throughout. I would encourage the team to consider this before releasing final copy to the public.

Quill says: Minus the cluttered design, By Trolley Past Thimbledon Bridge is a contender for a ‘Children’s Classic Bedtime Story.’

How To Price An Ebook

Amazon Vs. Kobo: Which Is Better For Price And Value?

By Kim Staflund

Last year, a major milestone was reached in the ebook industry: self-published authors began taking home the bulk of all author earnings generated on Amazon.com, eclipsing those represented by major traditional publishers. 

There has never been more opportunity in human history to publish a book. However, many questions linger for how to maximize a book project. What’s an appropriate price point for an ebook? 

Many authors incorrectly assume that consumers make ebook buying decisions according to different criteria than their paperback buying decisions—that it’s based solely on price ahead of value because of the format of the book. They mistakenly suppose that the ebook version of a book should be priced cheaper than the paperback version because of its reduced production costs (i.e., no printing involved). This is a flawed premise because buyers have various motives and reasons for buying ebooks.

Some customers buy ebooks based on price:

•  They prefer downloading ebooks to their laptop, desktop computer, or ebook reader that they received as a gift, because ebooks are cheaper to buy than paperbacks or hardcover books.

Some customers buy ebooks based on value:

•  They bought an ebook reader for all their ebooks for the convenience of having them all in one place (i.e., so they don’t have to cart around lots of heavy books with them).
•  They see significant value in the content of the book (i.e., it contains priceless information and instructions that can help them to earn more money or to better themselves and their lives in some measurable way).
•  Going paperless to help save trees is more important to them than saving money.
•  They want to have the latest technology in their hands before anyone else has it. (These people will almost always pay more to stay one step ahead of other people.)

Additional factors for judging an ebook’s optimal price are content and consistency. Readers buy books for content, not paper. An ebook’s content could change a reader’s life, but if no one knows about the content, then it won’t do anyone any good. That’s why authors need to be proactive with a marketing campaign. A key to a successful campaign is consistency of messaging, which is just another reason why authors should consider pricing their ebook the same as a paperback copy.   

Kindle is Best for Price-Based Ebook Marketing

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform allows publishers and “indie” or self-published authors to upload interior book files specially formatted for their e-readers; and it has a generic, front-cover-generator option available in cases where the client hasn’t already had one designed. This is a prime example of the vanity book publishing model in that vanity publishers promote themselves as the fast, cheap and easy self-serve way to “publish” (or, more accurately … format) a book without any mandatory professional editing, design, proofreading, et cetera, involved whatsoever.

Like many other vanity publishers, Amazon’s Kindle does its best to maintain control and ownership over the files uploaded to its site by enticing authors into an exclusivity contract via its KDP Select program. In addition, Amazon strongly encourages authors to price their Kindle ebooks at $9.99 or lower by providing greater incentives (higher royalties) on the lower-priced books; and they will only allow authors to connect their POD paperback books with their Kindle ebooks online via their “Kindle MatchBook” option so long as that ebook is reduced to as low as $2.99 per copy.

Recently, French publisher Hachette was victorious in negotiating a deal. Now, Amazon cannot force authors to price their books on their ecommerce site at $9.99 or less. Amazon, however, continues to strongly advocate for such pricing, arguing that low costs are good for all parties and citing the pre-World War II invention of the paperback, which made books accessible to more people. Opponents to the price ceiling say Amazon’s stance is arbitrary.

It will likely take an author forever to make back the money it cost to properly publish a book if the retail price is set at $2.99 per copy. Additionally, such a low price truly devalues content.
Kindle’s KDP platform not only prices ebooks very low, but it also allows authors the choice of offering their books free of charge for two to five days out of every 90-day period to try to bolster new readership. In other words, interested readers can simply wait it out and get a book for free. For many, a rhetorical adage may come to mind: Why bother buying the cow when you can have the milk for free? A much more effective way to entice new readers into buying a book is with a “Sneak a Peak” option that allows them to look inside a book to read only a small portion of the content for free, instead.

Kobo is Best for Value-Based Ebook Marketing

Luckily, many other ebook retailers out there will happily sell various ebook formats for their clients worldwide without exclusivity contracts, while also letting those publishers (self-publishers) determine their own recommended retail prices. Kobo is one of these retailers. When authors upload files to Kobo Books, they can set their own prices from the start. However, Kobo can put the book on sale if they choose to as it is with all retailers across the board. 

This is the traditional relationship of all manufacturers and their retailers. The manufacturer (self-publisher) knows its own production costs and, therefore, sets its own recommended retail price based on those costs. The retailer, in turn, lists the item at that suggested price and may or may not provide discounts based on their own projected profit margins. Obviously, a book that is professionally published by including professional editing, graphic design, and proofreading into the process has a higher production cost (and higher quality) which commands a higher price.

Many Kindle authors mistakenly believe that their books need to be priced low or given away for free in order to become a bestseller, but that’s inaccurate.

The digital POD paperback version of my book, How to Publish a Book in Canada . . . and Sell Enough Copies to Make a Profit!, became an Amazon.ca bestseller only a short month and a half after it was first published, as did my next book titled How to Publish a Bestselling Book ... and Sell It Worldwide Based on Value, Not Price!. The recommended retail price for both of these books is $19.99 USD. They reached bestseller status because of their quality content combined with using various online and traditional marketing techniques—not because of low pricing. 

Amazon or Kobo?

Authors need to determine whether they offer the best value or the best price. They need to decide who they are early on—what the core intention of their book truly is—and then be true to that vision through and through. Authors should understand their target market—their customers’ preference—before designing a sales and marketing strategy, and then make sure that the strategy is consistent with their preference in every single way, including the retail price they’ve set for every format of their book. By taking these steps, authors will sell far more books over the long run.

About Kim Staflund

As the founder and publisher at Polished Publishing Group (PPG), www.polishedpublishinggroup.com, Kim Staflund works with businesses and individuals around the world to produce professional quality audiobooks, ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers using a supported self-publishing business model. As a bestselling author and sales coach, she shows authors how to sell their books using all the effective traditional and online tricks of the trade. Staflund has a substantial sales and sales management history combined with over 20 years of book publishing experience within the traditional and new publishing markets.

Book Review - Clawed: A Gin & Tonic Mystery

Clawed: A Gin & Tonic Mystery

By: L. A. Kornestsky
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: May 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4767-5008-8
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: March 10, 2015

After reading my first Gin & Tonic mystery called Doghouse, I became a quick fan and immediately was excited to read the next book in this fun series from author L.A. Kornetsky titled Clawed. One of the best attributes of these books is the amazing way Kornetsky brings to life the thoughts of the two main animal characters, Penny and Georgie, which absolutely makes me laugh out loud every time.

In this story, with word spreading about Ginny’s event planning skills, she is excited when she receives a call from her first out of town client who is requesting her services. Since this client is from Portland, Ginny decides it will be easiest to just drive down and spend some time there. In addition, the trip will allow her to bring Georgie, her lovable Shar-Pei. Wanting to make a great first impression Ginny dresses in her most professional clothes and arrives at the designated address of the client a little early. Ginny knocks on the door but there is no answer. After a few minutes of complete silence from the house Ginny’s curiosity gets the better of her and she tries to open the door which to her surprise easily swings in. After a quick look around Ginny comes to the conclusion that her client must not be home and decides that it would be best to leave the premises before she gets accused of breaking and entering. Unfortunately, as she turns to leave she discovers a body shoved under the dining room table and it appears that this was no accident; the man under that table has been murdered.

Meanwhile, back in Seattle Tonica and Penny are stuck at Mary’s tending the bar and worrying each day about what Ginny and Georgie are getting themselves into. After hearing about Ginny’s discovery of a murdered man, Tonica cannot help but think that he needs to be there to help her investigate this. However, his duty is to stay at Mary’s and see that everything runs smoothly even though his mind is not really on his job. As soon as he realizes that Ginny could potentially be in danger, his responsibilities are pushed to the back of his mind and he travels to Portland as quickly as possible.

This next installment in the Gin & Tonic mystery series did not disappoint at all and I absolutely loved it. The fun and intriguing dialogue between Georgie and Penny is quite amazing and I find myself smiling and laughing out loud at some of their humorous conversations as they are trying to help solve a mystery. The relationship between Penny and Georgie is a great addition to the equally intriguing relationship between Tonica and Ginny who constantly push each other to their limits. To be honest this series helped me to become quite a fan of mysteries and I’ve never looked back. Whenever the next book comes out I will be sure to look for it with great anticipation.

Quill says: An unbelievably fun and intriguing mystery with a great set of characters!

Books In For Review

Check out the books that have just arrived for review!





Living Through the Pain: The Lonely Me by Cathy Kurtz Imagine waking up to your worst nightmare. In 1976, Cathy Kurtz, at the tender age of sixteen, lost her father, mother, oldest brother, and sister-in-law in a private plane crash. In 1989 she lost her surviving brother to AIDS. As a single mother, Cathy struggled to take care of her son while still being haunted by the tragedies of losing her family. Suffering gave Cathy a unique awareness of the pain an individual can live through and still be able to propel their life forward in a productive manner. A Christian upbringing was her only outlet to find peace, and the ability to live through the pain. Cathy considers her deep understanding of surviving tragedies, and using her pain to enrich her life, as a calling from God to serve others and assist them in finding the courage to move forward. Any young woman who has experienced a tragedy or who has ever been abused and tossed aside as trash will relate to Cathy's journey. Cathy reveals that if she can live through the pain, anyone can be a survivor and have a successful, rich, and blessed life.  

Oh! You Pretty Things by Shanna Mahin Jess Dunne is third-generation Hollywood, but her star on the boulevard has yet to materialize. Sure, she’s got a Santa Monica address and a working actress roommate, but with her nowhere barista job in a town that acknowledges zeroes only as a dress size, she’s a dead girl walking. Enter Jess’s mother—a failed actress who puts the strange in estrangement. She dives headlong into her daughter’s downward spiral, forcing Jess to muster all her spite and self-preservation to snag a career upgrade. As a personal assistant for a famous (and secretly agoraphobic) film composer, Jess’s workdays are now filled with shopping for luxury goods and cooking in his perfectly designed kitchen. Jess kills at cooking, a talent that only serves her intensifying urge to dig in to Los Angeles’s celebrity buffet. When her food garners the attention of an actress on the rise, well, she’s all too willing to throw it in with the composer and upgrade again, a decision that will have far-reaching ramifications that could explode all her relationships. All the while, her mother looms ever closer, forcing Jess to confront the traumatic secrets she’s been running from all her life.  

Dragon Guardian: Fire (Volume 1) by Aida Jacob Primordya was once a world of peace where man, dwarf and elf lived in harmony while aligning themselves against their common enemy--the dark elves. But such a balance could not last forever. Having enslaved the dwarves, the dark elves--led by their queen, Nahga--have now turned their ambitious gaze to the surface world. The realm of man was the first to fall, and the realm of the elves hangs on by a mere thread. Unwillingly thrust into a war that was centuries in the making, Princess Marin Draconya must brave her way through the wilds after her parents and sister are viciously murdered by Nahga. Taken under the wing of the powerful mage, Nicodemus, Marin learns not only to master the raw magic coursing through her veins, but also of her true destiny as a Dragon Guardian--a rare and powerful mage with the ability to command all dragons. In order to achieve this destiny, Marin must journey to the shrines of the four Elemental Dragons and prove to them that she is indeed worthy of her birthright. Only then will she be able to unite the people of Primordya under a unified banner and defeat Nahga and her massive army.  

The Good, the Bad and the Furry by Tom Cox  

TIME-LIFE Mysteries of the Criminal Mind: The Secrets Behind the World's Most Notorious Crimes Is it nature or nurture that shapes a serial killer? What drives a person to become a kidnapper or a terrorist? And can such behaviors be predicted--or even stopped before they occur? As advances in science unlock the secrets of our DNA and reveal the inner workings of the human brain, Time-Life Books explores the fascinating findings that are shedding new light on the criminal mind. What role does birth order, divorce, media influence, and other societal pressures play in how criminals are formed? By examining some of the most notorious criminals from history and our modern era--from Al Capone and Charles Manson to Scott Peterson and Dzohkhar Tsarnaev--and their characteristics, the nature of their deeds and the possible formation of their pathologies. Readers will explore the roots of crime, going on the streets to meet the authorities who deal with criminals on a daily basis and have developed unique insights into the criminal mentality.