Willing Spirits by Phyllis Schieber

Are you the kind of person who enjoys reading about friendships between women? Many women are the best of friends and they insist that they couldn't get through life without those friendship. If this sounds familiar to you -- this is a book you have to read. I'm not a fan of chick lit - and Phyllis' books have been called chick lit - but I don't agree. Schieber's books are about mature women who are in their 40s or 50s and they have accomplished a lot in their lives - and they have also had their share of difficulties.

In Willing Spirits we meet two friends who are in their 40s and their children are grown and have gone off to college. One (Jane) is married - although she is unhappy. The other (Jane) raised her sons alone because her husband walked out when the boys were very young.

Jane discovers her husband in bed with a younger woman and once the shock and anger wear off - she realizes that she doesn't want to be with him anymore. Her friend, Gwen, is there to support her.

As the story progresses we see the many dimensions of their friendship. We meet their children, mothers, significant others and many other people as these women work their way through their lives. Should a 40 something woman be alone when she isn't married? Is it all right to be involved with a younger man? What should she do when her 20 something daughter finds them in bed together? Is it all right to have an affair with a married man? If he leaves his wife - does that mean he will or that he should live with his mistress? How do grown sons handle their mother and her married lover? And - how can these women juggle their responsibilities and still be true to herself?

These are just some of the answers you will find in this book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will nod at the things that are familiar and you may even raise your eyebrows in surprise - but if you like stories about women, their lives and their friendships - you will enjoy Willings Spirits by Phyllis Schieber.

Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass

This is the second novel in the Body Farm series. I really like this series - I will tell you this isn't my favorite book in the series - but it leads into the 3rd which is very good.

Dr Bill Brockton (based on Dr Bill Bass) is back and facing an interesting combination of situations, people and mysteries. We meet a very attractive medical examiner who is also attracted to Dr Brockton and Dr Bill unearths some rotten apples within his acquaintances. He takes the high road and must point out the error and that sets a gruesome and danger set of events in motion.

I won't give you the details -- wouldn't want to ruin the book for you - but there is plenty of action and Dr Bill is even arrested for the murder.... of his lady love. I recommend this book because you should keep up with the series - and even less than stellar from this team is good. There is great forensic detail and plenty of intrigue to keep you wondering what will happen next....

The Entrepreneurial Author: Surviving Tough Economic Times By Jay Conrad Levinson and David L Hancock

The Entrepreneurial Author: Surviving Tough Economic Times
By Jay Conrad Levinson and David L Hancock
Foreward by Rick Frishman

When I started doing promotional work, I was always given a limited budget. This meant that I had to get creative and that was one of the things that really appealed to me about promotional work. So, for a long time I was doing “guerilla” marketing – without knowing it. When I was asked to do a review for the new Jay Conrad Levinson book I was very pleased. Since David Hancock is a co-author, that made me even more interested in this book because I’ve enjoyed his entrepreneur author blog. David and I share many thoughts about how authors, especially business book authors, should approach their promotion. Many of these thoughts are included in the pages of The Entrepreneurial Author. Let me say in the beginning that this book is good for many entrepreneurs – not just authors.

Many books are coming out about how to do business in tough economic times and it seems that approach will be useful for the foreseeable future. So, our challenge is to find books that have quality and useful content. I was very pleased with the content in The Entrepreneurial Author. If you are a fan of the Guerilla Marketing books – you will enjoy this book. If you are an author who thinks your publisher is going to do all your promotion – you may not like the content, but you will learn a lot.

When you have a book on the market, you have created a product that you want to sell – that makes you a business person. So, all authors need the “entrepreneurial author” mindset. That is what this book is all about. In tough times, the people who approach their work with the right attitude, have a better opportunity to succeed. If you’re an author – do you approach your writing and book promotion as a business? If not, you need to read this book.

There are a number of great chapters in this book which are geared to working and promoting in a tough economy – such as: Tough Times Don’t Have to be as Tough as You Think, Importance of Stressing Value, Using Consent Marketing Now More Than Ever, Community Involvement During Tough Times, Attracting New Business During Tough Times and Online Marketing in a Shaky Economy.

Additional Chapters Include:
Free and Almost Free Marketing.
The Importance of Service During Tough Times.
Making Yourself the Talk of the Town.
Freebies That Can Lead to Serious Profits.
Getting Extra Mileage From Your Marketing.

I always advocate creativity and ingenuity in promotional efforts and tough economic times makes that even more important than usual. These are the times when we need to show potential clients that we offer great value. We also need to build our credibility for clients and that is a great reason for a business person to write a book.

This book starts at the beginning and helps you see the various options that are available to authors and can help you find the one that is best for you. Too many writers dive into publishing without doing sufficient research and it is amazing how much money this can cost you. The chapter on Tough Times Don’t Have to be as Tough as You Think is easily worth the cost of the book and it offers opportunities for authors and other business people. These tips help you reduce “the cost of marketing while reinforcing the customer relationship”.

I like books that draw you into the content and help you use the information within the book. The Entrepreneurial Author contains Exercises and Action Steps in each chapter to help you dig deeper into the content and also to actually take steps to start doing the work you need to do.

Guerilla Marketing is very much about using your mind and creativity instead of a big advertising budget. What better time could there be to learn how to promote effectively on a tight budget? The content is great and the time is definitely right – to learn to be an entrepreneurial author. Are you ready to take your books and your promotion to the entrepreneurial level? If you realize this is the time – you need to read this book ---- now. I think you will be astounded by how far you can take your writing career and your business by using the information in this book.

Nikki Leigh – Author of Book Promo 201: Harness the Power of the Internet with Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing

The One Minute Coach by Masha Malka

Remember the song – “What a Difference a Day Makes”? If a day can make a big difference, is a minute helpful. What can you actually accomplish in a minute? You may think the answer is “not much”, but I’m here to tell you that you can accomplish plenty in a minute… with Masha Malka’s new book “The One Minute Coach”. Get ready to turn your life around in a minute.

We all have very busy lives and we know how hard it is to work anything else into our schedule. I sympathize with the lack of time. However, can you find a couple of minutes in your day? Some people will find time at breakfast, on the train to work, in the restroom or some other place. The location doesn’t matter – the important thing is to find a few minutes.

This book is set up in a layout that I’ve really come to appreciate. Masha gave you a series of short points and then action steps to help you actually move forward and to make a difference in your life. Each chapter contains a series of these points.

There are over 50 points and over 50 action steps in this book – so literally, there is something for everyone. She discusses the topics listed below.

• Freedom to be Who You Are
• The Secrets of People Who Are Successful
• Why Do We Suffer?
• The Secret to a Great Life
• Are You a Natural Leader?
• Time Management and Decision Making
• The Best Source of Wealth
• Is It Ever Too late?
  

To give you some examples of the talking points in the book, I’ll share some of my favorite sections.

• Freedom to be who you are – “Don’t say if I could I would. Say instead, If I can, I will.” - Jim Rohn.
• The Secrets of people who are successful – “Successful people make a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.” - Thomas Edison .
• The most important ingredient to your success – “Calm self confidence is as far from conceit as the desire to earn a decent living is remote from greed.” – Channing Pollock.
• Are you guilty? – “Lack of forgiveness causes almost all of our self-sabotaging behavior.” – Mark Victor Hansen.
• How much do you love yourself? – Let’s talk about LOVE. More specifically, I would like to focus on self love. Why? Because you cannot give more than you have – in order to give and receive love, you have to first love yourself.
• Using words with good purpose. – Did you know that you can positively transform your environment just by changing the words that you use?
• Personal satisfaction at work – “We can change our lives. We can do, have and be exactly what we wish.” – Anthony Robbins.
• How much do you rely on logic? Do you make your decisions using mainly your logic or your intuition?
• Produce the results you are looking for – “The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein.
• What did you miss out on today? “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin.
• The power of questions – “The quality of our lives is closely related to the quality of our questions.” – Michael Angier.
• Ask and you will receive – “Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions and as a result, the get better answers.” Anthony Robbins.
• Excellence is not an act, but a habit – “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle.
• Can one person change the world? – “You are where you are and what you are because of what you believe yourself to be. Change your beliefs and you change your reality.” Brian Tracy.
  

Each of these headings and sayings begin a two page section of the book. There is one page that gives an in depth explanation of the saying on the left page. On the right page, you see “action steps”. These action steps are included to help you see how to apply these principles in your life. It is very possible to change your life to make it better and you can change your life, once minute at a time.

I highly recommend this book. It is only about 130 pages, but it is packed with so many great thoughts and recommendations about how to get your life on track and how to excel. Like Brian Tracy said – we are each responsible for where we are in our lives and that means that we are the ones who have to put forth the effort to make a change.

In this day and time, there are many people who are facing trying times, but it is amazing how we can change our reality and our future by applying the points Masha Malka gives us in this power packed book. Newscasters keep telling us that we are in the worst financial situation in over 70 years, unemployment is soaring and the future looks very unsure – but if we make the most of our life, that is a great step in the right direction. Let Masha Malka show you how to start on the path to a more happy and successful life – one minute at a time.

The Freedom Formula by Christine Klosser

The Freedom Formula: How to Put Soul in Your Business and Money in Your Bank by Christine Klosser. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to include a spiritual element and attitude to your business? This is the book for you. Some people feel that you can’t run a “spiritual” business and make money, but Christine Klosser feels that it can be done. She also focuses on being a “conscious” entrepreneur. Do you run your business with a higher and more focused consciousness?

This is the freedom formula – (S+C+D+I) x E = F

That stands for – Soul + Connection +Design + Implementation x Energy = Freedom

How many of these elements do you use in your business?When we talk about the “soul” of your business – we’re talking about YOU. The person who “birthed” the business is the soul of the business – it’s your baby. We often say that we put our heart and soul into building our businesses, but Klosser takes it further in her book.

There are four components to a conscious business.

1. A Conscious Business Makes Money – It may be hard for some people to believe, but you can look out for your clients and still make money. We don’t have to sacrifice our lives and our needs to succeed. Both aspects are desirable and we can build a successful business that treats clients well and allows the owner to have a life.
2. A Conscious Business Makes a Difference – A conscious business should make a difference in the lives of others. Don’t just treat them well, but actually make a positive difference in their lives. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a doctor to make a difference. Do you offer a product or service that makes their life easier or that makes their life more enjoyable? These are ways to make a difference in their lives. Another aspect of this is knowing when you should refer the client to someone else. Do you know another business person that is better qualified to serve them? Then you should make the referral. Think about it like this – if you need to compromise what you think is right to make the customer happy, they aren’t right for you. Be true to yourself.
3. A Conscious Business Calls You to Be Fully Who You Are – Can you be true to yourself and not hide parts of your personality in your business? This is the sign of a conscious business. Being true to yourself and using every aspect of yourself is what will help you succeed. One big side benefit is that giving your whole self gets rid of any competition. If YOU are the element that brings success to the business – then no one else can possibly replace you. Klosser says “Success is supposed to be easy. When you’re simply being you and doing all that comes naturally as your Divine self, success flows.” I have to ask, can it possibly be that easy? Klosser seems to think so.
4. A Conscious Entrepreneur Trust in Their Divine Plan – One major element of this is to squash the negative thoughts and feelings that can creep in, especially with an unusually pesky client. It is important to stay focused on your Divine plan for your business and keep moving forward. No matter how bad the moment or the day is, its only a blip in the overall plan. This part of the plan requires you to reconnect with God – your source – your spirit – whatever you call the divine guidance in your life.

One of the elements I really liked were the “Action Guide Exercises” that are interspersed throughout the book. These are usually short and to the point, but to do them right will require thought and action on your part. There are many very good business elements in this book and it definitely helps the entrepreneur to stay focused on the bigger picture and the greater good. However, if you are not inclined to include your religious or spiritual beliefs in your business life, this book probably isn’t for you.

Before making the final decision to purchase this book, I’d recommend going to Amazon and click on the “look inside the book” link. This gives you the chance to read the first chapter. If you like Klosser’s approach and it resonates with you, I highly recommend that you buy it and read the rest.

Book Promo 101: Learn the Basics of Book Promotion by Nikki Leigh

This review was done for one of my book by Lillian Brummet. Her details are at the bottom of the review.

Book Promo 101: Learn the Basics of Book Promotion

Only a small part of a writer’s career, no matter what genre they focus on, is the act of writing – most of the writer’s schedule is filled with record keeping, office work and marketing. The first year after a book is published is often referred to as the “honeymoon period” because this is when the authors direct contacts have been exhausted. Typically, sales drop off and the author becomes disenchanted with the thought of facing more promotion activities for a seemingly “dead” book. Sadly there are only a few in the industry that seem to understand that a marketing plan should last the life of the contract for that book, sometimes longer.

Nikki Leigh has graciously put together a series entitled Book Promo 101 and the first book of this series has just been released. This first installment is an overview of the basic process and tools that are involved in book promotion activities. The author will go into each of these tools in more detail in the upcoming books in this series. This is a great way to have a brief understanding of what each of these tools are, why they are employed and some great tips on how to avoid using them ineffectively.

There are, what looks to be more than 50 contributors to this book. Virtually every page has a contribution from authors, educators and others that are involved in the world of writing. These insiders tips are very helpful; I was impressed at the amount of comfort that is felt through reading these personal experiences. The contributors’ willingness to admit errors, discuss
emotions and share their favorite resources is refreshing.

Readers will find lists of questions for them to use to define what their needs are and how they plan to reach society with their message. Find out if you need services, such as a professional full time publicist, and learn about alternatives that are available for you to consider. There is an excellent sample conversation in the chapter dealing with bookstores that will definitely be of service to readers.

In total there 208 pages in the print book which is a generous 8 x 10 book. It contains 16 chapters along with Appendices that offer extensive lists for review sites and best selling book sites. Book Promo 101 was released in March 2008 by Write Words Inc – an imprint of Cambridge books. (The ebook is standard size 5 x 8 and over 400 pages.)

The author, Nikki Leigh, has been involved in marketing businesses, books and web design for over 15 years. She has 4 novels and 4 non-fiction business books that are available for readers to investigate through their favorite bookseller. She also runs several bogs, offers virtual book tour services to her clients and facilitates classes in character development.

ISBN#: 978-1594314985 (e-book)

ISBN#: 978-1594314698 (print)

Rating: 5-out-of-5 stars

~ Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; Host of both the Conscious Discussions talk radio show & the Authors Read radio program (www.brummet.ca)

For more information about Book Promo 101 - visit www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm

The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal

I thoroughly enjoyed Shobhan Bantwal's first book, The Dowry Bride. It was well written and the glimpses into Indian culture were fascinating. Learning that paying or not paying a dowry could be a matter of life or death was shocking to me and she handled it very well in her book. So, I've been looking forward to reading her second book.

This weekend I took time to read The Forbidden Daughter and my wait was rewarded. The book is about female infanticide. That is the practice of killing female babies and unborn female babies. I've heard various reasons for female infanticide in India and that is one of the elements of this story. Are women less worthy or important than men? The characters have a variety of feelings about this question. Another element is the financial angle to performing abortions along with the social repercussions.

Isha Talik is drawn into this web of lies, deception and money when her obstetrician informs her and her husband that their unborn child is a girl. In an off handed comment, he says that he's willing to perform an abortion if they want to be rid of this child. Isha and Nikhil vehemently insist they will have their child, but they realize Nikhil's parents will want them to abort the child. The couple have one daughter and Isha knows her in laws treat her daughter Priya as less worthy than her male cousins. When the news is shared with the elder Taliks, they insist the child must be aborted.

This debate rages and is only interrupted late one evening when the family receives news that Nikhil was stabbed to death at his job. Isha, Priya and the in laws are all shaken by the news of Nikhil's death. The news is especially devastating to his parents because Nikhil was their only son and he had no sons to carry on the family name. Life for Isha and Priya is tougher each day and after her father in law beats Priya, the young, pregnant widow walks out of the house - with almost no money and only some of her possessions.

Isha and Priya are taken in at the local convent and make their home in a small, bleak room and they wait for the birth of her daughter. The day after Diya is born, Isha is seen by the doctor who helps the convent. He was a student at the college Isha attended and he had a crush on her in school.

Doctor Harish Salvi becomes a very good friend and his affection for Isha and her children continues to grow over time. Isha is reunited with her sister in law Sheila. With Sheila and Dr Salvi, Isha finds the support she needs.

Over time things begin to look better for Isha and her family and her support network grows again. But, the story isn't over and Isha must deal with a couple more concerns before the end. Isha and her closest confidantes realize who killed her husband and why. She has evidence of his wrong doing and the time stamp on the computer disc makes it very obvious, who is responsible for his murder. Will they go to the police? Will the murderer pay for his crime? Who else will have to pay for this man's actions?

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but I highly recommend this story. You will grow to admire, you will admire and cherish Dr Salvi and you will care what happens to Isha's daughters. This book is a wonderful work from a talented author who share her knowledge of India with us.

Shobhan Bantwal is touring with Promo 101 Virtual Tours in October. Visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com for more details.

Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles by Winton Churchill

Direct mail and email marketing have gotten a bad rap for many years. But, when the email marketing is executed properly, the results can be fantastic. That is the sort of email marketing that Winton Churchill talks about in this book. It’s not just a simple email being sent from time to time, but it is an email system that gets definite and positive sales results for your business.

The complete name of the book is Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles – Proven Ways to Product a Continuous Flow of Prospects and Profits with Effective, Spam Free Email Systems. When properly formulated and executed, an email mailing system can generate additional sales for your company – quickly.

We’re all familiar with the long drawn out and unpredictable sales methods. How many times have your sales people spent endless hours coddling sales leads? How often do these hours generate few sales? You know that isn’t cost effective, but every body does cold calling, trade shows and similar sales approaches. Or do they? You won’t need to continue these unpredictable sales strategies after you read and apply Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles by Winton Churchill.

To illustrate the wealth of information in this book, these are some of the topics–

· Email Marketing is Not About Spam.

· Email Marketing… Relatively Easy and Extremely Powerful – When You Do it Right.

· Change your Mindset, Change Your Future.

· Six Special Needs of Complex Sales Cycles.

· Three Critical Stages of Success.

· Unhooking – The Process of Un-Training Your Brain.

· Four Ways to Identify and Qualify Legitimate Prospects.

· The Rapport Sequence.

· Eighteen Essential Components Simplified.

· Seven Damaging Mistakes Many Executives Make.

· Eight Indispensible “Fast Track” Strategies.

Recipients have mental blocks about spam and supposed junk mail. So, the first thing to realize is that Winton Churchill isn’t talking about spam or junk mail. In various places throughout the book, he admonishes the reader to find a quality list. This helps you get better results because those lists contain people who want to receive information about a product or service that is similar to yours.

Email marketing is reasonably easy, but you need to understand why it works and how it works. The complex sales cycle is a powerful sales tool and Churchill helps you learn how to use it properly. Are you one of the business people who spent your budget on an address list, but didn’t know how to properly use the list? This book is for you. Just having the list isn’t enough. You need to reach the people and determine who needs your product or service. You also need to build up a rapport with these people in order to lead them to make a purchase.

The email complex sales cycle allows you to screen these potential clients, show them that you are an expert in your field, demonstrate ways that you can help them and lead them to your business to make a sale. That does not mean that every one on the list will become a client, but when you start with a targeted and qualified list, your chance of making the sale increase. Once you have the right list, work on the cycle of messages that prove your credibility and illustrate how you can fill their needs.

In several of the chapters, Churchill addresses the mindset and that re-training are necessary to make email marketing work. The content of this book helps you get past the preconceived ideas about spam and to see the strategic way that a complex sales system works.

I enjoyed the entire book and I really enjoyed the sections on how to identify qualified prospects, how to simplify the eighteen components that are necessary and learning about common mistakes. I learned long ago that we can learn through past mistakes – the ones we make and the ones that other people make.

Finally, the eight “fast track” strategies are very useful. We all want to fast track our sales cycle, but it needs to be done correctly. Throughout the book, Churchill explains that we can ruin the sales cycle by pushing too hard to fast, so learning how to effectively “fast track” the program is helpful and will help us avoid mistakes.

My copy of the book has all kinds of information highlighted for future reference. I found many great ideas and tips that I will use. As I was reading the book, I also noticed an idea forming to use email marketing for a client’s business. I hadn’t thought about the approach before, but it made so much sense as I read Email Marketing Solutions.

The content could inspire you to make radical changes in the way your sales force finds and how they handle sales leads. Think of the time and money you could save with a more effective sales prospecting system for your business. Let Winton Churchill show you how to make these changes and how to increase sales that are generated for your company.

Winton Churchill will tour the blog-o-sphere September 15 to October 10. For more details, visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com

Personality Not Included by Rohit Bhargava

Personality – Personality is defined as “the unique, authentic, and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about. Personality is not just about what you stand for, but how you choose to communicate it. It is also the way to reconnect your customers, partners, employees, and influencers to the soul of your brand in the new social media era.”

Have you ever thought about the fact that your business should have a personality? You might not have thought about creating or developing a personality for your business – but in the twenty first century, your business needs a personality. The time for faceless businesses is gone. We have all been told to develop a brand for our business. But, creating a personality that reflects and deepens that brand is taking the idea to a higher level.

Think about your favorite coffee shop or your favorite restaurant. What do you like about that business? Is it the service, the products, the atmosphere, the location, or something else? The personality includes things that set that business apart from other similar businesses.

This book contains six chapters in Part One. Part Two contains learning guides which expand on the content in Part One and various other resources. The contents include:

Part One

1. Sign Here to Read This (How Organizations Lose Their Personality)

2. The Accidental Spokesman (How Unlikely Voices Are Shaping Your Brand)

3. A Signature is Not Enough (How to Define Your Organization’s Personality)

4. Lessons from the Storytellers (Crafting a Backstory People Care About)

5. Conquering the Fear Factor (Getting Your Organization to Embrace Personality)

6. Add Personality and Stir (Finding and Using Personality Moments)

Part Two

· The Butler Was a Marketer (Putting Personality into Action)

· New Styles of Marketing (Ten Techniques are Described in Detail)

· Taking Theory Further (Tools and Guides to Accompany Chapters 1 – 6)

Throughout the book Rohit Bhargava provides ample examples of businesses which are using the techniques that he discusses. The case studies were almost enough to sell me on this book, but learning about each technique and then being given an interesting and detailed example of how each idea can be implemented in real life was invaluable. For example, we all know that Starbucks is very popular. In Personality Not Included we are given details on what they did right and then how they let the personality slip away.

Another fascinating chapter is chapter two when we learn about the many types of accidental spokesmen that can represent a business. In addition, he tells us how each type of spokesmen is effective and how to make the most of their enthusiasm and appeal. In business for years, I’ve learned so much through mistakes that have been made, by me or by others. There are plenty of examples in this book of what techniques won’t work in certain situations or when it’s better to use another option. I love to highlight the valuable information in books and my copy has plenty of information marked for future use for me and my clients.

Backstory is critical when writing a novel, but have you ever thought about sharing the story behind your business? This chapter explains why you should have a backstory and how to use that backstory. The strangest thing happened as I read this chapter. I usually share my business and promotional background with people when I give my experience, but chapter four helped me begin to develop a new approach. My dream as a teenager was to be a novelist named Nikki Leigh and later on I got my feet wet in promotional work as a consolation prize in a management job and I found that I loved it. Those are two of the things I can use to begin to put the backstory for my business on paper. What story do you have behind your business that would attract the public and help them to see you in a more favorable light?

In the opening chapter and introduction of the book I was patting myself on the back because I’ve used many of the ideas that are presented. Then Rohit Bhargava said something that really got my attention. He mentioned that just learning to create a personality isn’t enough. You need to learn the best way to implement that personality plan in your business and learn to identify even more ways to find opportunities to develop this personality even further.

When you read the book, definitely take the time to read the learning guides in Part Two. Here is an example. In Chapter Four (page 112), we learn about How to Use the Backstory Model Picker. This section summarizes the different types of backstory, what they include and who should use each type. Once you read that information, you flip to the guide on page 259 for much more detail on each of the types of backstory and how to utilize them in the best way. There are many “guides” in the book which give you additional information on how to get the most out of the ideas and techniques in the book.

I highly recommend this book for any entrepreneur and business person who wants to understand the need for a business personality. Business managers can also learn so much from the content in this book. It is also for the person who wants to find the different ways to develop this personality. Your business can stand out from the competition in amazing ways - it just needs more personality. When you read the book, keep your eyes open for the interesting ways the author has woven a unique personality into the pages of the book.

Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port

Recently I was contacted to read and review Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port. Earlier he released Book Yourself Solid and this latest book is about the next steps in running and owning a business.

I've written a number of books and have been running a variety of businesses for twenty years. I've had many experiences of my own and I've read many books on the topic of business management. So, I went into the book with the expectation that it would be similar to all those other business books I'd read. My expectations were way off base.

I really enjoyed the book and found many points that I had experienced myself. There were many things mentioned in the book that I know for a fact - work. There were some places in the book where Michael Port was very clear that if the reader didn't follow his instructions, they simply would not move their business forward.

I had to smile as I remembered the number of times I told that to business owners I worked with or business partners who refused to make necessary changes. The author showed a good sense of humor throughout the book and the style was very conversational, which I prefer. I like the writing style to speak to me, not preach at me.

Some of my favorite topics included: preparing for the future, being creative (my favorite section), building blocks for business, measure your objectives, how to get things done, how to develop business systems (one of the best pieces I've read on this topic), how to hire and outsource, building alliances and partnerships, and creating balance in your life.

In the last chapter, Michael Port included personal experiences from a variety of business people that showed what is possible and how to take a simple business idea and then build it into something much bigger and more successful.

I highly recommend this book for a business owner and/or manager who is working in a busy business, but wants to take it to the next level. Its very easy to be overwhelmed in business and in real life when a business grows. But, apply the many invaluable tips and suggestions that the author shares with you and the business and your life should improve. I'll keep my eyes open for the next book by Michael Port.

Nikki Leigh
Award Winning Author and Publicist
www.nikkileigh.com

Frankie the Walk 'n Roll Dog by Barbara Techel

I have to start by saying this book is absolutely adorable. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean its filled with fluff. But, the "heroine" is a sweet little weiner dog. We learn about Frankie and how she came to live with her humans. Wouldn't we all like to hear what our pets think about the first time they met us? Frankie is a friendly dog who loves her humans and makes friends at a variety of places, including the local farmer's market.

The author, Barbara Gail Techel, shows us how the relationship between Frankie and her humans develops and one day, they leave town on a vacation. While they are out of town, Frankie and Kylie stay at the kennel and even though they miss the rest of their family, they are doing all right. One evening, Frankie gets a little rambunctious and she lands hard on the cement floor. She can't feel her back legs, but she feels stabbing pains in her back. The caretaker at the kennel takes Frankie to the vet and her family come back from their vacation when they hear about the accident.

Frankie has surgery, recovery and rehabilitation to get her back legs moving again. Even though Frankie feels better and gets back to being herself, but her back legs are not moving. Her mother finds a cart with wheels that allows Frankie to get around.

The later portion of the book is inspiring and deals with perceptions and concerns for anyone who is disabled. This is written in a simple fashion and contains beautiful pictures, but the points being made will benefit a reader and animal lover of any age. Any pet owner with a disabled pet should definitely check into the cart mentioned in this book. It is a wonderful way for an animal without the use of their hind legs to get around.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to meet an inspiring and unique heroine and who loves animals.

For more information, visit www.joyfulpaws.com
For information about the cart used by Frankie - visit www.eddieswheels.com


Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Cover of the Year - Asking for Your Vote

I just scanned the covers for Cover of the Year on Erin Aislinn's website and saw a lot of familiar covers - many were on my Judge A Book By its Cover blog last year :)

I invite you to visit http://www.erinaislinn.com/BookCoveroftheYear2007.htm and I hope that you will vote for Lady Lightkeeper which is one of my covers and it is listed as the winning cover for September.

If you prefer the easier route - feel free to email webmail@erinaislinn .com and put "VOTE for Lady Lightkeeper" in the subject line. I appreciate every vote :)

Nikki


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The Appeal by John Grisham

I enjoy John Grisham's book and especially the legal books. It seems like a long time since I've read one of these, so I was looking forward to this one. I enjoy books that deal into subjects that I don't know a lot about and that applies to much of the legal system and especially appeals. So, I enjoyed the subject.

The reader learns about a husband and wife legal team who have quite literally "risked it all" for a client who has lost her husband and her son due to the negligence of a large corporation. I feel the reader is brought even deeper into the story as they learn more about the repercussions for the town because of things that were done by this corporation. It was nice to see that the attorneys didn't resent their situation (which I have seen in other characters - real and fictional).

As a reader, I wanted to reach into the book and help some characters while I wanted to strangle other. The art auction was a nice way to show the stark differences between the corporation owner and the people who his company hurt.

The plan that is implemented in part two seems very plausible and there have been elections where it seemed this sort of "campaign" is being executed. The detail in the planning and the specifics for an interesting array of characters was enjoyable.

I won't give away the end, but I wanted the new justice to have something happen to him and the "incident" worked very well for the book and seemed appropriate for John Grisham who is very involved in youth baseball.

It was great to read a new Grisham legal book - I'm looking forward to the next one :)

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com

The Latino Challenge by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

I worked with Mr Hutchinson to promote The Latino Challenge in the fall of 2006. I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and many of the situations mentioned in Mr Hutchinson's book aren't every day happenings in this area. Although, the Latino population is growing in nearby communities. While I lived in a local city that has a large number of turkey plants, I was much more aware of the growing Latino population and how that affected the residents.

As a single, white woman in her early 40's, I don't experience the problems mentioned in The Latino Challenge. But, I feel that the information can help anyone understand many of the stories in the news. Media reports often mention which ethnic groups are involved in skirmishes or problems, but they don't give listeners background. I really appreciated learning more about what has taken place between black and Latino residents in the US.

We have all heard of the problems in large cities - Los Angeles, New York and many other large cities. We hear the news reports of murder, gangs, school problems, racial tension and many other problems. The Latino Challenge gives historic details about what has caused these problems, what has magnified the problems. It also explains how these problems will change and grow as the Latino population has become the largest minority in the United States.

The problem isn't just an immigration problem - there are many other undercurrents that can and will affect everyone. If you have children in school, if you use public services, if you live in a city or town with a growing Latino population - there are issues in The Latino Challenge that will help you understand what is happening.

The Latino Challenge presents the idea that it is time for black Americans and Latino Americans need to have a serious conversation. The increased tensions and problems can hurt each of these ethnic groups.

I found the content in the book enlightening and educational. Don't think that the content isn't important if you aren't black or Latino - there is something to be learned for everyone in the US. As Mr Hutchinson mentioned to me, by reading the book before these situations are a big issue in my area, I'll be ahead of the learning curve as things change near my home. I'm the type of person who likes to be informed and to understand things happening in my area. I now have a much better understanding of news stories near my home.

I look forward to finishing Mr Hutchinson's latest book The Ethnic Presidency. I'll post a review about this very timely book soon.

Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Baby Be Mine by Diane Fanning

I've been a fan of true crime books for many years and have several favorites that I read. However, in March of 2006, I met Diane Fanning when I moderated a panel she was on at the Festival of the Book. To prepare for our panel discussion, I read two of her books and I was hooked. She takes the true crime book to a new level that I appreciate.

She doesn't just give the well publicized facts of the case, but she digs deeper. In Baby Be Mine, she gave a lot of information which some may consider to be unnecessary and I was a little confused at first. However, as I continued to read, I realized she was giving us information about the collateral damage that was caused by this act of violence. The repercussions were felt by many people in many areas and not just the immediate family of the victim.

I found the information she wove into the book about similar crimes to be very enlightening and it gave more depth to the Bobbie Jo Stinnett murder. For this case, murder does not seem like a sufficient description of the crime perpetrated on her. I appreciated the additional information that was included in the book and feel it made the content even more compelling. I have two other books of Diane's in my to be read pile and hope to read them soon.

Review By Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Cape Cod by William Martin

This is a wonderful version of the settling of Cape Cod. The story begins before the boats arrive in the New World and follows a family's struggle through the present time. The history is interwoven with his fictional town. I read this after I visited Cape Cod for the first time and loaned my copy to a friend from the area. It didn't find its way home and I bought another copy. Highly recommended. The flashback chapters which are worked into the story and the present day chapters may be confusing, but stick with it, this is a great book. My novels are set just north of Cape Cod on the Cape Ann coast and I'd love to read his take on Cape Ann.

review by Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

I read this book because I will moderate a panel discussion with Dr Bass and Mr. Jefferson at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March 2006. I real a lot of true crime, thrillers and mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed this book. The details are incredible and the descriptions make you feel like you are bumping along the road with the doc. I'm glad to say that I didn't know "who did it" before the end. The characters are vivid and blend well with the setting for the story. The personal touches to show the expert is human were a great touch. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a well written thriller. Can't wait to meet you both in March :)

UPDATE - I just met Dr Bass and Jon Jefferson and they were great. It was a joy to be there when they talked to potential readers about their books. Its also amazing the number of questions I knew the answer to, because I'd read Carved in Bone and Death's Acre. Looking forward to the next fiction and non fiction. My parents attended the programs with me and are now interested in forensics for the first time. Great job guys :)

Dr Barbara Holstein Shares "The Truth"

I recently got a chance to read Dr Barbara Holstein's book "THE TRUTH: I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything!"

This book is centered around a ten year old girl who has some important information to share with you. Do you remember what you thought of life when you were ten? What did you expect to happen in your life? Now that you've grown up, did you reach the dreams that you had when you were ten? If not, why not?

Dr Barbara starts off in the Introduction and reminds us of how many woman are leading unfulfilling lives and who feel they have lost the feeling that they have any control over their lives. Many woman have forgotten how to laugh and are feeling depressed and discouraged with the way their life ended up.

Its never too late to take control and try to take back your life. Do you have creativity that is untapped? This could be the time to find a creative outlet. Let the young heroine of this book transport you back to the time when you were time. She will remind you of how innocent life was at that time and all the promise that was before you. It can be productive and therapeutic to go back in time to a simpler and more interesting time. Come along as our young friend tells you about her "first love", "balloons" in her father's nightstand, betrayal by her best friend and the feeling in the pit of her stomach every time her parents fight.

Dr Barbara's Contact Information
Visit her website at www.enchantedself.com/ or her blog at www.enchantedself.typepad.com/.

Review by Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com

Past Imperfect by Nora Peterson

Nora Peterson introduces us to Casey McCloud. She is a thirty something woman who is on a mission. A young woman hired a private investigation office to find out some mysteries from her past. That sounds simple enough, but the young woman dies under questionable circumstances a couple of days later. Casey realizes that something is not as it seems and decides to solve the mystery, even though the client is dead. Her quest sends her to Boston a week before Christmas. The Boston atmosphere will make you dig out your gloves and hat as you make your way through the streets with Casey as she pieces together the clues to solve the mystery. Nora Peterson will also take you from the world of high society and into the world of the homeless as a harsh winter storm heads toward Boston. I love a good mystery and Past Imperfect kept my attention and even distracted me for an entire morning while I kept reading to find out "who done it".

Killraven by Arline Chase

Intrigue and Romance on the Chesapeake Bay in the 1890's,

I know Arline Chase and I think she's a wonderful woman and publisher. But, I'd never read any of her writing until we were in a chat together.

I love books set in places I know little about and set in the past, so Killraven was the perfect choice. It's set along the Chesapeake Bay in the late 1890's. I was hooked from the first pages and had a hard time putting it down.

From the beginning, I felt like I was walking along the docks and riding along the oyster shell roads with Hope and DeCoursey. These two couldn't be more different, but we all know that opposites attract. She had a strict religious upbringing and DeCoursey is a scoundrel. The question is whether he's as bad as the rumors the local gossips spread about him.

My favorite books make you feel that you're part of the story and that the characters are your friends. I had that feeling right away and I worried about Hope who had left her family and community. Even with the rumors about Coursey, I wanted him to find peace with his past and possibly to find love.

Arline Chase's book simply oozes with atmosphere and drew me in from the beginning. She weaves a variety of interesting and memorable characters into the story and gives us vivid details of their home, their community and their lives. Killraven had humor, dread, fear, suspense, murder, robbery, love, friendship and so much more. I would recommend this book and especially to people who enjoy a historic mystery with a bit of romance.

For more information, visit -
http://www.amazon.com/Killraven-Arline-Chase/dp/1594311374/nikkileighaut-20