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Author & Book Promotions

Author & Book Promotions

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Author & Book Promotions is the premier online book promotion service for authors and one of the largest resource directory on the web, promoting literary works by best-selling and new authors, giving them greater online book publicity. A&BP have worked with authors across the globe such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Caribbean,... more »
  • Miami, FL, USA
  • member since July 3, 2007

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Displaying 1-10 of 33 reviews
  • Opportunity: Optimizing Life's Chances
    • Rated 4 stars

    • Hardcover: 461 pages
    • Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1st edition (April 4, 2006)
    • Language: English
    • ISBN-10: 1591024021
    • ISBN-13: 978-1591024026
    www.opportunitybook.com


    Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite

    In "Opportunity: Optimizing Life's Chances", Donald Morris has written a scholarly work about how the ordinary person misses multiple opportunities for advancement or knowledge simply because he or she cannot recognize the true signs of opportunity. The opportunity model is first explained. The elements of opportunity include: time constraint in which opportunities exist, the sacrifice the person will need to make in order to take advantage of the opportunity, the risks involved in the opportunity, the catalyst or trigger and lastly, the possibility of regret or remorse for having taken the opportunity - or not. All of these factors are then set in the framework of the person's overall view of his or his world. The explanations in general are intended to assist the reader in recognizing what the author calls "high-end opportunities." These are opportunities which alter the present and shape the future. The author further contends that if one is trained to recognize opportunities in a timely fashion, one can then recognize rich and productive opportunities while dismissing the trivial, short-lived opportunity which does not move the individual forward.

    I think the parts I valued most in the book were the boxed quotes of familiar philosophers throughout the ages. Another important section deals with self-control and self-regulation as a critical component of recognizing and taking advantage of opportunity. There is another section on 'Stumbling Blocks, Pit Falls and Blind Spots' which may assist those who have repeatedly come upon defeat when attempting to move forward. In that section, the author says that being able to predict the behavior of others may assist the individual to predict the success of any given opportunity. This is a scholarly book which would be useful in classes of business, social sciences and philosophy.


    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Saturday, February 23, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • My Last Summer with You: No fanfare for a withered rose
    • Rated 5 stars

    Reviewed by Fran Lewis: My Last Summer With You: No Fanfare for a Withered Rose: Fidelis O. MKPARU



    Life can change in the flick of a moment or in this case when answering the phone. As one man now comparing himself to a withered rose, or flower reflects on his aging body a voice from the past will bring back memories that will flood into his present. What happens when one woman decides to leave you part of her own legacy in order to enrich your later years? When Joseph remembers Wendy and hears the voice of Francesca we go back 31 years to 1977 and enter the halls and dorm of a small town college in Chicago and learn more about this remarkable man.



    As Joseph takes us back in time we learn a lot about his culture, his feelings and his discipline. Arriving at a new school and being a foreign student created certain obstacles when it came to registration and getting assigned to classes. Having to fill out certain required papers and completing them the rest seemed to flow with ease. Entering the registration room is where we meet Wendy. Wanting to get to know more about Joseph she invites him to lunch at the cafeteria but not before he buys his textbooks, takes his first class and makes it abundantly clear that his main focus are his studies. Bright, astute and definitely into what the professor is teaching, his questions are right on target, insightful and extremely well thought out.





    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and sometimes can be considered quite superficial. But, when one young woman tries to sell the attributes of another to Joseph his disappointed is aired, his feelings expressed as he was hoping to have a private lunch with a new friend that turned in a different direction.



    Cultivating his friendship with Wendy was paramount as she enveloped him in so many different worlds. Science, art, music, world politics and more learning about her family and background explaining to him that seeing and feeling what he learns in school would help in rise in the future. Her experiences are vast and her knowledge base wide as he went further into the areas of plant species and art.



    Told in the voice of the young college student we hear his thoughts, understand his changing feelings and fears as he enters Wendy’s world, meets her family and becomes accustomed to her style. But, Joseph never loses sight of his goals and when the Chairman of the Department asks to see him he has no idea, feels uneasy but soon finds out that his future is in this department and with the help of this professor and a mentor he was considered for a job as a research assistant during the summer something unheard of for a freshman student. Imagine his excitement when given a tour of this man’s research lab first and assigned a student mentor. Complimenting him on his achievements but letting him know that he needed to live up to standard, Joseph wondered if she were his mentor or mother. So, when the visit was over Joseph learned he was directly working with the head of the department had to report his progress to his student mentor and could use the departmental library for his studies.



    Like all men or some men Joseph was doing well academically but began to fell stifled in other ways. Having his career and his movements channeled and monitored by so many women was overwhelming at times and confining. As we learn more about his feelings about Wendy’s friends, their backgrounds, his take on them and the friction that he encountered at times. Meeting Lisa and her boyfriend Bruce brought to light for Joseph and the reader the definition of the words prejudice and bigot. But, this would not be the last time he endured racial slurs, rejection and the feeling that he did not belong. Getting to know Wendy created mixed signals and situations throughout his first year. Asked to join her at the family home and at her talent show he learned the extent to wish a father would go to prevent his friendship from Wendy from continuing. Although he was an A student, award winner and scholar the fact that they were of two different races should not have mattered when it came to their friendship. But, sometimes people read more into things that are there and Joseph as the reader will learn is quite perceptive, analyzes each situation and decides on a solution that is not always what is best for him but for the other person. Students that escaped from South Africa enlighten him even more, others in some of his classes realize the value of his friendship and help as experiments are done in class and he receives enough college credit to become a junior after one year.



    But, Wendy is special to him and no matter how hard he tries the connection is there but will never be permanent. Respecting him, valuing his knowledge she alerts him to the fact that Francesca, the cheerleader, model and her very beautiful friend needs his help in physics and then things change for Joseph even more.



    The author brings to light many important issues within this novel that were not only prevalent in 1977 and 1978 but in the present too. My Last Summer with You: No fanfare for a withered rose is a story that envelops the reader from the beginning. This story takes place over 30 years ago but the storyline could bring it into the present. Joseph could be any foreign exchange student, that at the age of 17 wants to find his own way without the distraction of a social life, girl friends and withstanding the disregard at times for who he is and the disrespect of some of the other students. But, as some would rebel and take action Joseph is centered and does not take the bait when called names or rejected by a close friend. You hear both Wendy and Joseph’s thoughts in their short yet intimate notes as the story continues.



    Some are taught that inter-racial friendships are wrong and parents frown upon them. Joseph put is all into his studies and his belief in God. Wendy although at times the reader feels she is truly a good friend to him we can see deeper into her character and realize that she used his kind and caring ways to better herself. With parents that did not want her to continue her friendship, listening to their demands she still could not divorce herself completely from Joseph. His personality is quite compelling. Francesca becomes his friend but to whose advantage? With his limited funds he still soars and when Francesca has trouble paying for school he rallies to her aid. Francesca enlists Joseph’s help and he pays her way in more ways than one. But, when he is invited to meet her family we realize that cultural differences do matter, prejudice rears its ugly head and very few if any accept inter-racial relationships no less marriages. When things seem to get estranged Francesca leaves for a while and returns with a modeling contract in New York. Almost tied to her apron strings and setting up the rules for their relationship to discounting it all in a heartbeat as if they are two blossoms that are slowly fading away. His life changes and his friends leave and now it is up to him to decide his future.



    How this all ends you will have to read for yourself. Friendships that are strong often do not last. Life takes many unpleasant turns and then we have to recycle them in a more positive direction. An ending so raw and so heartfelt yet understandable that you have to decide for yourself what will happen next for Joseph. Friendships are valuable but when others play too strong a role then the end result will be: No Fanfare for a Withered Rose. This is one novel that college students, high school students and study groups can use to learn how young people often judge people by their color and not by what they are within or inside.

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Tuesday, February 19, 2013. ( reply | permalink )
  • Cheerage Fearage
    • Rated 4 stars

    Reviewed by Laura Carter for Readers Favorite

    Tiki Tinklemeyer is a manga loving social misfit who has been sent to cheerleading camp by her well-meaning adoptive parents in an attempt to get her to make some new friends. Unfortunately for Tiki, 10 years earlier the cheerleading captain was murdered at camp and weird things have been happening ever since. When bad things start happening to the girls in Tiki’s cabin, they originally think they are just being pranked by other girls, but then the pranks start to get creepier and scarier and Tiki starts seeing things. Is it all just a prank or is it something much more sinister happening at camp valentine?

    This is a very funny book that successfully uses comedy to offset the horror that is happening. It is very rare for a book to be able to be both funny and scary at the same time but Kimberly Dana has managed very well in "Cheerage Fearage". The characters are somewhat clichéd and very over-the-top but that is part of their appeal and what makes them so lovable. I loved Tiki – the socially awkward geek who finds herself very surprised that she is actually enjoying cheer camp and starting to make friends only to then have to deal with an apparently haunted cabin. This book had me hooked and I didn’t put it down once until I was finished. The story starts out ok but steadily gets better and better and the ending is fantastic. This book should be read if only for the ending. The last page surprised me and absolutely blew my mind. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and I am desperately hoping that we will hear more about Tiki and her friends.

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Monday, April 16, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Night Shivers
    • Rated 0 stars

    Reviewed by The Pen & Muse: If you are looking for great horrifying tales to get you in the mood for Halloween or just love the horror genre, then you will love Night Shivers. Pessalano creates such hair raising stories that it will make you go under the covers. There are thirteen stories in here varying from the wedding day that turns upside down to a camping trip with an unexpected visitor, and an oldie but a goodie when it comes to horror- the old abandoned house with revenge that goes into the paranormal. There’s more to choose from such as a story about a passenger on a train being perused by a deranged serial killer and an amusement park story that will have you thinking twice about ever going to a park again. Pessalano has a great gift, to entertain and scare the human mind with these horror stories. Those who love the genre and love a good scare will enjoy the book as much as I did. A fun, scary treat!

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Saturday, February 18, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Pretty Dolls
    • Rated 5 stars


    Pretty Dolls is an easy-to-read picture color book by award-winning Christian author and English teacher, Kimberly Dana. The book is about children's self-esteem and can be read by parents or a child in one setting. The storyline is not only positive but educational for young readers.

    Kids will not only gravitate to the bright and vivid pictures on each page, but also follow along Gracie, who is Tasha's favorite doll who gets teased by Emile-Nicole, Lilly-Kate, Chloe-Anne for not being as pretty as they are.

    Here are excerpts from the book:

    "Now one thing Tasha didn't know was after books were read, prayers were said, and lights were turned out, Emily-Nicole turned very mean. Perched on the tippy-top bookcase shelf, she glared down a Gracie nestled in Tasha's arms and grew jealous. She said things to Lilly-Kate and Chloe-Anne to make them laugh, like "Look at her silly hair sticking up!" and "Hahaha! She has only one nubby arm, and her eyes look like boo-boo bruises!"

    And Lilly-Kate and Chloe-Anne giggled as they sang:

    Pretty eyes and pretty hair, We're the best dolls anywhere. If you were a pretty doll, you'd be up her standing tall.

    It is a story children will relate to and understand. Today, unfortunately many kids are bullied or teased about their looks, appearance, clothes, ... in school and Pretty Dolls cleverly tells this story in a unique way; which is why Author & Book Promotions highly recommends this book to children and parents!

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Sunday, January 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Northern Discovery: A Century Series Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers Favorite

    Montana's young sheriff John Bingham is once again forced into a difficult case. The bones of notorious Jerome "Jerry" Handley, brother of Montana's Jamison Handley, have been discovered in a secluded barn. It has been twelve years since bad guy Jerry, noted for dealing in drugs and high stakes poker games, disappeared one night after delivering some of his "goods" to young fellows looking to get drunk and high. Jerry's skeleton hand is grasping a button just like the one on a coat worn back then by Jared Corbett, now a high school teacher and married to John Bingham's high school love. Jared is arrested and high power lawyers come together for both the prosecution and defense. But did Jared really kill Jerry? As John Bingham investigates, he finds that there are many others who might have wished Jerry Handley dead, including his own brother, the Governor. Worse yet, twenty thousand dollars in counterfeit bills are found on Jerry Handley's decayed clothing, drawing in federal officials to investigate. The jury declares Jared not guilty; so who is the murderer?

    "Northern Discovery" is a well-written, carefully plotted mystery that involves totally authentic courtroom scenes. All characters are delineated carefully and are totally believable. Author Nicholas has written a riveting novel of suspense and mystery that all readers will enjoy as it twists and turns to it's end pages which lead right into the author's next Century novel. This is a great read that offers lots of good and guys who confront each other realistically.

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Sunday, January 15, 2012. ( reply | permalink )
  • Absolute Obsession
    • Rated 5 stars

    REVIEWED BY THE PEN & MUSE (A&BP RATES THE BOOK):Absolute Obsession is a pure, straightforward fantasy with few frills or distractions. A woman falls in love with an actor—who for all intents and purposes, has somehow reached Elvis-esque levels of fame and public fascination—and then everything magically falls into place for them. The age difference, the physical distance, Michael’s fame, Rose’s family—all of these inherently interesting things are quickly and conveniently accommodated to keep the plot from getting too complicated. If you enjoy pure escapist romances, then you’ll enjoy this book and the various sexual escapades that increase in frequency as the novel progresses. I wouldn’t recommend this novel to anyone who likes even a tiny hint of realism in their romances.

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Monday, August 22, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Becoming: The Life & Musings Of A Girl Poet
    • Rated 5 stars

    Reviewed By The Pen & Muse: Brown provides us with a refreshing look at her life through her words. A muse in her own rite, Brown takes us on a literary journey that inspires and awe as you travel down the winding words that she weaves. Those who love poetry very reminiscent of Maya Angelou will love Brown’s poetry. This is the second in poetry books that I have read and always enjoy them. I could say that I would love to pick a favorite poem, but you will find as much as I did that poetry — it’s words takes us on a journey, a journey so incredible that we cannot have a favorite. If you are looking for beautfully written poetry than look no further with Brown’s Becoming: The Life & Musings of a Girl Poet.

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Sunday, August 21, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • Why Kill a Parapsychologist

    Why Kill a Parapsychologist

    by Madelaine Lawrence
    • Rated 5 stars

    Review:ed by The Pen & Muse (A&BP Rates The Book): Why Kill a Parapsychologist? By Madelaine Lawrence
    Imagine dreaming that you witness a stabbing, and then waking up to discover that it actually happened. The dead man is a prominent researcher in the area of parapsychology and seems intent on exploiting your special abilities to make his presence felt after his death. Is it his interest in extra sensory abilities that has caused his death or the fact that he has publically endorsed the legalisation of gay marriage in North Carolina? As if this wasn’t enough, your lawyer boyfriend is defending his lawyer boyfriend, and needs your skills in forensic hypnosis to help him investigate.
    Susan Kemp is a great heroine – mature, sexy and professionally competent. Her college student sons, Philip and Jeff, entertainingly help out with investigations in their vacation, and nicely balance the very real menace of the paid thugs who are out to get Susan, the creepy CSI guy who has a crush on her, and the ex-husband who thought about kidnapping her but didn’t want to waste the money.
    Alongside the action there is romance in the form of Tom Danford, the good looking lawyer, and intrigue as together they engage the enemies of the dead man – anti-gay rights protestors and scientists who believe that his recent research project will turn the medical world on its head.
    Madelaine Lawrence expertly juggles her story, from ghostly interviews to mafia goons and moody alcoholic ex-husband. The plot is well paced and fast moving – a real page-turner that keeps you wondering to the last.

    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Saturday, August 6, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
  • First Love, Last Dance
    • Rated 5 stars

    Reviewed by Mayra Calvani!

    Set in Atlanta and the Ohio farm region before, during and after World War II, First Love, Last Dance is the touching, heart-warming true story of Elise and Peter, a couple who first fell deeply in love in their late teens/early twenties but weren’t able to reunite until their late seventies. It’s refreshing to read about such real life stories.

    Told from the point of view of Elise’s daughter Nancy Rossman, this memoir begins in Atlanta in the late 30s and spans several decades all the way to the present.

    Elise is a beautiful Southern girl from an upper-class upbringing. At the young age of 19, she meets Peter, the man who sweeps her off her feet. They fall in love. Unfortunately, Elise’s controlling, domineering and old fashioned mother has other plans for her daughter. Believing that Peter isn’t the right match for Elise, she does her best to influence her daughter’s decision until, tragically, she succeeds. Instead of marrying Peter, Elise marries a Navy pilot who, though handsome and smart, isn’t the right person for her. As a young bride, Elise’s life changes radically: her new husband takes her to rural Ohio to work on a farm. Elise is soon torn with bittersweet feelings of frustration and, at times, unhappiness. Then something happens… Each year on her birthday, Elise receives a mystery call from the South… Could it be her long lost love?

    Though I’m not a big fan of memoirs, I must say I enjoyed reading this one. Written with special attention to detail, First Love, Last Dance is a celebration of love that will warm readers’ hearts. It is also a celebration of hope and second chances. True-love story lovers will relish the hope and optimism in it, while fans of Southern writing will take pleasure in the historical aspect of the setting and characters. The family dynamics in the story are interesting, too, portraying values and traditions particular to the South and the Ohio rural regions. Above all, this is the story of one strong woman, Elise, a woman who never gave up on a memory and a promise.

    The author wrote the memoir as a gift and tribute to her mother Elise. What a wonderful gift to offer a mother! If you’re a fan of true love stories, you must pick this one up. This book will also make a lovely gift on Valentine’s Day.

    About the author: Nancy Rossman has been a storyteller her entire life. Following a twenty-nine year career as a commercial real estate broker, Nancy turned to her first love of writing. Over the past eleven years she has studied with such notables as Alan Furst, Dorothy Allison, Abigail Thomas and Ann Hood. First Love, Last Dance is her first book. It is a memoir about hope and second chances.


    Author & Book Promotions wrote this review Thursday, July 28, 2011. ( reply | permalink )
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