Review: Hayley Lawrence – Skin Deep

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Rose Herbert

Skin Deep
Hayley Lawrence

Scarlett went from being a beautiful, graceful dancer to a scarred outcast in the space of an afternoon. She’s desperate to get away from people’s expectations – and her dad is willing to take her up into the mountains to get away. But there she finds she can’t be alone – and maybe she doesn’t want to be.

I confess that I found this novel somewhat unrealistic and underwhelming. I didn’t find it thought-provoking because I didn’t think that the overall treatment of Scarlett’s scars was reasonable. I wanted to be fair to this novel, so I went to do a little digging on what research the author did before/during writing it. I couldn’t find much.

Yes, girls are definitely treated differently in terms of ‘pretty’, ‘cute’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’, but it’s also true of guys to an extent. There are definitely the ugly guys who also get picked on by the ‘jock’ types. This book makes it seem like only women have the problem! And that only shallow women only think about looks, which is also untrue.

It seemed like a low technique to have the secondary character Eamon just accept Scarlett – because it seemed as if his sister was the pure reason that he felt that way. The abrupt turn-around of Scarlett’s friends also seemed shallow and unlikely. Finally, I didn’t care for the romance that sprung up – how convenient that Scarlett and Eamon might spend some more time together! I also had a Bridge to Terabithia moment which honestly could have made the novel more poignant for me.

If you have an overactive imagination like mine, please note that there should be a trigger warning for skin peeling. I can’t get a particular phrase out of my mind! However, the majority of references to her scars are that they are ugly and really that way because of the muscle loss.

I’m giving this 3 stars – hopefully it’s thought-provoking for younger readers, but if you really want to get inside someone’s mind who has been badly scarred, Brent Runyon’s Burn Journals remains the gold standard in my mind (I appear to have not reviewed that novel in particular, but I have reviewed his Surface Tension).

Scholastic | 1st July 2021 | AU$15.99 | paperback

Interview with Brett Salter

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Rose Herbert

An Interview with Brett Salter – author of “The Search For Synergy”

Before we just jump into the interview, let’s hear a little about Brett himself…

My background in writing stems mostly from the inspiration I found as a kid when I read Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. These include The Chronicles of Narnia, The Xanth Novels, The Time Quintet, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and everything from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss. In my formative years, I joined several punk rock bands and wrote songs, poetry, and short stories aplenty. As an adult (?) I took on a dare and wrote the first book in my Talisman Series. I loved the feeling it gave me and the idea of inspiring others so much that I kept writing until I had an entire series. I am currently working to finish The Talisman Series. I have self-published 4 of the books which can be found on Amazon. At this very moment, I am on book 11 of the 12 I have planned. I also have plans for a series which will take influence from the portal fiction genre about a girl and 6 others that travel to another dimension to fulfill a destiny by saving a planet from cruel overseers. Keep a wary eye out for portals. Stay cool!

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Great question! So many to choose from. I would have to go with either The Gap Dragon (Stanley Steamer) from the Xanth Series or Falkor from “The Never-ending Story”

I’m not going to be reviewing your newest novel, but from your other published novels, is there one that is your own personal favourite?

I would say that my favcorite of the published books is the newest one, unfortunately. By this time in the series, we’ve met pretty much the entire character roster and learned all their abilities. Also, most of the Talismans are known and the plans for the big bad are very well documented. However, the fifth installment (coming out this winter) will be my personal favourite because of all the cliffhangers and character growth of our favorite Master Dragons and Synergist Knights.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

Actually, I do have one. It’s a short story about Death in a physical form coming to visit those before they die and WHO plays the part of the harbinger itself. I wrote it about a year before I started “The Search For Synergy”. I had planned to return and extend it to novel length because I really like the idea, but I think now it’s a little dark for me. I prefer inspiring and giving kids adventure rather than scaring them and giving them nightmares.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

I feel like my character development has gotten better. That’s a pretty lame answer (I know), but I really think it’s true. Most feedback I get from my readers is that they LOVE the main two protagonists, but that the secondary characters are even better. That goes to show that as I’ve added characters to the series, I’ve gotten better at making them more believable, relatable, or even just plain bonkers enough to stand out as a fan favourite! I find this to be quite a compliment to the way my writing has changed. It’s fun to go back and see it progress too!

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

Well, I wrote the first 3 books in my series in the first year (2017-2018). Then, I waited to write 4-6 which took about another year. Then, I took a break. Once 2020 hit, I had a little more free time so I started books 7-11 which I finished by the beginning of this year. I’ve spent the majority of this year promoting and editing book 5 which I want to release in Winter of 2021/2022. All that to say that I can average 1-2 books per year when you finally do all the math, but I technically write spurts directly reflected by the amount of free time I have available. LOL.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Oh! It’s ALWAYS digital. My penmanship is equal to that of blindfolded chicken scratch. It always has been. I felt bad for my teachers growing up. As far as WHERE I write, it is mostly at my house surrounded by my barking dog, and ringing phones, and neighborhood kids running through the house like herds of gazelles, and televisions blaring cacophonies of cartoons, and abrasive, punk-rock music, and all the things that make my house the zoo we’ve grown to love. That’s probably why editing is, for me, a total nightmare!

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

Ah! Interesting seque. So, my Beta-reader is my son. Almost everything goes by him to see if it is cool or not for the middle-grade crowd. He’s read through book 10, but don’t ask him for spoilers. He is tight lipped about it. And, I use family to edit as well. My aunt does it for every book I self-publish, and I am very appreciative of her expertise. Everything I do is DIY. My cousin even designs my covers!

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I flat out refuse to read unless I can physically hold the book and turn the pages. I am in agreement with you that there is something about the smell or touch of a book that makes it more intimate. There is something to be said for the old adage “The book was better”. I feel like if I watch something, I am basically TOLD what and how the work plays out. The setting, the characters, the sounds. Everything is dictated to me by the director’s vision. When I read, it can be MY vision which is way more personal….And self-absorbed.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

I would say my favorite genre to read is probably Fantasy. I grew up on it. (Xanth, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, etc) As I attended high school, the curriculum dictated different genres and classics which I certainly appreciated. And in college, where my major was English, I really got my eyes on some different stuff including poetry (my soft spot) and all that comes with a liberal education. So although I own and have a fondness for the classics and almost every sub-genres of fiction, my mainstay is definitely Fantasy.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust (agreed)! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

Lightning round. Here we go!

I manage my own social media. I’d love to hire someone, but it just comes down to my non-negotiable hiring rate of $0 per hour.

I do not enjoy being my own social media social mediator. That is probably why I have such a tiny social media footprint. All jokes aside, I hope to grow if I can though. For now, check out @talismanbrett on “The Gram” and The Talisman Series on FB.

In lieu of a large social media presence, I prefer to bother people like Rose at The Cosy Dragon to do all my promoting for me! Smiley face. Seriously though, I am very appreciative of the work and assistance that The Cosy Dragon provides. It really helps a ton for people like me that are not the most active on social media.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

Great question! So many to choose from. I would have to go with either The Gap Dragon (Stanley Steamer) from the Xanth Series or Falkor from “The Never-ending Story”

Haha. I’m kidding, of course. The temptation is there, but I treat each interview like meeting a new, potential fan for the first time. It’s got to be original if you want to make a lasting impression on them. I think it’s all about making your audience feel like they are part of something bigger. Part of my stories!

And to wrap up, a bit of a left-field question: which superpower is the most over-powered/broken and why? My personal answer to this one might be the ability to transform – if you can become anything, you can theoretically become another super hero and get their powers!

I would say in the realm of fiction, I would say that invulnerability is the most broken power. Especially if you have an evil despot in a position of authority that is invulnerable, that makes defeating them nigh impossible. I would say in MY series, The Talisman Series, one of the most broken powers is Mr. Jones’s spell Transportation incantation that basically allows him to teleport groups of people anywhere he wants. I even had to set some limitations on it because I was like, “That’s not really fair! What’s to stop him from using this for nefarious purposes.” I guess we should be happy Mr. Jones is on OUR side!

Thanks Brett for your time today and your energetic answers! If you’d like to hear more from Brett, please do visit his FB pages or the Wiki about his books! You can also find his books on a range of platforms:

Review: Daniel Coyle – The Culture Code (S)

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Suzi

The Culture Code

The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups

Daniel Coyle

“Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? … Culture is not something you are–it’s something you do. The Culture Code puts the power in your hands. No matter the size of your group or your goal, this book can teach you the principles of cultural chemistry that transform individuals into teams that can accomplish amazing things together.

This book is jam packed with stories from a variety of different businesses and groups. They all work differently yet overall are sharing the same underlying messages. The stories left me giggling at times or wondering more, and were very interesting.

Most of what I learnt from this book wasn’t anything new. But the examples, stories and how it’s told was amazing. The overall messages will be remembered as they are linked through the stories. Each of the 3 main chapter/authors points has a section of “ideas for action” as takeaways for you to apply the knowledge you’ve just learnt. It gives you actionable questions and ways to apply it. Unfortunately, as do a lot of similar books, the actionable items are more so in person and can’t be used in a virtual or work from home environment.

It was still good regardless and basically just for the interesting stories I loved it. [Rose’s note: I can definitely attest to the fact this this was a great book – Suzi giggled her way through the book, and stopped reading multiple times in order to make the reading experience last longer.] 4 stars.

Interview with Larry Goldsmith

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Rose Herbert

An interview with Larry Goldsmith, author of Marc Marci

Larry G. Goldsmith is a financial forensic sleuth. He is a career licensed Illinois attorney, certified public accountant and financial forensic accountant. Being a financial detective led him to pursue writing fiction in his off-hour. Historical fiction is his passion as he revisits times forgotten while telling a romantic tale.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Norberta is my favorite from Harry Potter otherwise it is Puff the Magic Dragon from Peter, Paul and Mary.

Do you have a favourite part of the novels you have written?

I have another novel being published in August: ‘Bashert’. There is something special writing your first novel. One must overcome the inadequacies of actually writing that many words and pages. There is a unique sense of accomplishment once that first draft has been completed.

I have five novels that need to be rewritten and hopefully that they will be worthy of being published.

Over the years my writing has improved because I’ve learned from my editors. I’ve made my own corrections of their handwritten changes. Every time I edit a manuscript it gets better and I learn from the experience.

In my writing, details matters, I spend a month or so researching a topic. For instance I knew very little of transgender before I spent countless hours and time performing research. To authenticate the time and place of the novel requires an additional research. I need to rewrite and edit my works between 6-to ten times until it is worthy. So the answer to your question is, it took me at least two years to produce a novel.

I sit in front of my computer to write my text but it is those sleepless nights is where my ideas come to life. Then I have a mad dash at 3 a.m. to write down the notes of my inspiration.

I have two standby editors. A retired professor and my wife. Both are thankfully very critical. I edit my own book several times and then I ask my wife to edit again. The publish then finds things that we all missed. For instance I had the character drink a Diet Coke, however a Diet Coke wasn’t a product for three years after the fact.

I’m old school like you. I can read some things online (News, short articles, and correspondences) but to enjoy the flavor of what I read I enjoy the feel of paper between my fingers.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

My favorite genres are history and spiritual awareness. Learning from the past enlightens me as to the future. Mystery was previously my favorite.

Is it acceptable for a straight person to write about a character that is transgender?

Great question: Writers have since the beginning of time written about time periods before they were born and have written about characters from different lands or genders.

A woman author can write a novel with male characters the same way an American can write about a European character. However, it takes research. Many hours of research is required if you incorporate different cultures and lifestyles.

What did you want to say to the reader when writing Marc Marci?

The takeaways that I’d like the reader to come away with are:

We all have hardships in life and we can overcome them
People are people. Sexual orientation has no bearing of what’s in one’s heart.
We were placed on this earth to perform good deeds to make the world a better place.

About the novel

Devastated by the sudden death of his parents, eighteen-year-old Marc is suddenly alone in the world. To cope with his grief, he travels to Europe where he hopes to find himself. His road to self-discovery, however, is not how he envisaged it. Twists and turns throughout the next decade add dimension and character to a passage he never imagined.

Initially, new friends, the nightlife of London and sudden trauma lead him to his biggest discovery; that he is happier as a she. As Marc becomes Marci, she adjusts to living as a woman while embracing all the highs and lows that life flings at her.

Marc Marci is an inspirational story of a young person’s journey, achieving happiness against the odds.

Review: Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke – Pan’s Labyrinth (K)

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Kyria

Pan’s Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro & Cornelia Funke

A year after her father’s death, Ofelia and her mother move in with her new Stepfather. The dense forest surrounding her new home provides a perfect hiding place, both for the resistance fighters her stepfather is trying to defeat, and fairies, Fauns, and a magnificent labyrinth.

This was a beautiful book. One of this book’s best features was its ability to inscribe wonder in my heart with the fantasy element, where it captured both the beauty and the danger of magic. I find there’s a big difference between fantasy which is simply ‘there are fairies and magic’ and the atmosphere and aura that a well-written fantasy novel can provide, and this book provided that perfectly. Part of the reason I think this is done so well was that the main character in the story is a child. This is the first time reading a book where the main character is significantly younger than I am, but I found that, far from being frustrated by annoying childlike decisions, the childlike innocence added to the atmosphere of the book.

The juxtaposition between the cruelty of Ofelia’s stepfather and the wonder of her secret world was outstanding. Both aspects of the book entranced me, and I never found myself trying to get through one part faster to move on to a more interesting story.

The worldbuilding of this book was beautifully done. The characters were vibrant and 3-dimensional, and the book pulled me in and refused to let me go until the very last page. I would definitely recommend this book, with a note of warning that there are some pretty extreme descriptions of violence, so it would not be ideal for younger readers.

Review: Natasha Ngan – Girls of Paper and Fire

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Rose Herbert

Girls of Paper and Fire
Natasha Ngan

Lei has been blissfully unaware of the wider society – apart from a raid that took her mother 7 years ago. When she is selected to become one of the king’s eight concubines she doesn’t feel it’s an honour and dreads serving a king brutal enough to order the complete destruction of villages. Lei doesn’t know how she will survive – but when she finds herself falling in love, she realises that there is more to life than serving and hating.

In a beautifully realized fantasy setting, it’s a love story, and yet at the same time other things are going on. To start with Lei isn’t that keen on being chosen – but decides to make the most of things to protect her family. I loved her fiery spirit, even if the early pages of the book were all a bit boring as they focused on the concubines getting to know one another.

I found the ending a little disappointing. Honestly, it would have been better if that particular character had died, because I could see where a power gap could still occur. For example, the mysterious shamans. What was their reasoning for keeping the balance of power stable? What did they get out of it?

Many reviewers have said this should come with a trigger warning for rape and abuse. I think it’s fair to say it did come with a bit of notice about that, as the beginning pages of the novel (at least in my copy) were links to rape and abuse hotlines for people who were in such terrible situations.

I picked this up at the library because I was pretty sure I’d seen other bloggers raving over it! I saw that there were the first two books on the shelf and promptly googled it to check how many books it was going to be. Unfortunately for me, it’s a trilogy and the third book isn’t published yet! I’ll give it four stars, and worry about reading the third when it comes out (probably again borrowed from the library).

Review: Jan Cavelle – Scale for Success (S)

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Suzi

Scale for Success: Expert Insights into Growing Your Business
Jan Cavelle

“All it takes to start a business is a great idea and initial funding. But when it comes to growing and scaling a business – turning it into an enduring success – it becomes much more difficult to manage and sustain the various elements that are involved. You need to set out a clear plan, sustain funding, optimise marketing opportunities and develop an effective team. There are many opportunities to fail but, with Scale for Success, readers will gain valuable insights and practical advice from a global array of entrepreneurs and business leaders who have paved the way to their own versions of commercial success.”

This is a review by Suzanne, who specialises in reading and reviewing business books. I can tell you that she really enjoyed this book! She was either reading it because it was so good, or trying not to read it because she didn’t want it to end!

This book is a lot of short stories and lessons from entrepreneurs and CEOs sharing their experiences with scaling a business. I really enjoyed it! The book follows in a logical order with different sections on different topics. Each chapter has one or two stories from different entrepreneurs regarding that topic and providing advice. I love hearing the engaging stories from different business experts. The book still flows well overall as it’s all written from the same author, and not a collaboration of authors.

There are key take away tips, inspiration and advice from each entrepreneur. There is also their own personal definition of success which I found interesting. In similar style books with lots of stories there is normally some I’m uninterested in. However with this book, I loved all the stories and struggled to put the book down.

This book is aimed for businesses that have already started, mainly those that are larger and looking at growing further. It includes raising venture capital and other funding but isn’t only on these points. I think it was great to see not just scaling up, but how to exit and move on from a business as well. There are not many business books discussing how to exit. I don’t think I learnt any particular pieces of advice to implement right now, but it was a great enjoyable read and I do recommend it, even if you are not scaling up.

Bloomsbury | 2nd July 2021 | AU$34.99 | paperback

Review: Bella Green – Happy Endings

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Rose Herbert

Happy Endings
Bella Green

“Bella Green is a Sunday-afternoon sex worker. Divorced dads, IT nerds, international students – she’s here for the idiosyncrasies of human behaviour, for soothing the lonely. But really for the cash… Taking us on a funny, candid, can’t-look-away journey through brothels, strip clubs, peep shows and dominatrix dungeons, Happy Endings is a hilarious and compelling memoir from a bright and bold new Australian voice.”

This isn’t the first memoir by a sex worker I have read (see my reviews of: Come and The Brothel). I liked this one in particular because it showed the way mental health can impact someone’s work life. And it’s not that Bella doesn’t work hard – she seems to work her butt off! It’s just that her work is different from the old boring 9-5er.

It was refreshing to see how Bella addressed the relationships she has with both binary and non-binary people. To her, her attraction is based on their personality and approachability. The self-insight she shows (no doubt through quite a lot of therapy) speaks a lot for what a fantastic person she must be.

What I’d like to see next is the reflection of a male sex worker – and whether they have some of the same complaints and commentary on their clients. Who knows? I’ll keep an eye out for this approach and review it if I find one…

I resisted the urge to google the author because I don’t really need sex worker ads popping up on my Facebook (no offense to sex workers, but I do work with underage persons so it is really inappropriate for me to have those ads come up). I like that Bella’s two professional lives and selves eventually came together – a real happy ending!

Pan Macmillan | 29 June 2021 | AU$34.99 | paperback

Review: Kalynn Bayron – This Poison Heart

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Rose Herbert

This Poison Heart
Kalynn Bayron

Briseis has a gift that is held in check by Brooklyn lack of green spaces. Her ability is to cause plants to thrive – even the deadly poisonous ones. After a rough year at school (trying not to cause the plants in her teacher’s windows to grow vigorously), Briseis is hoping to spend the summer helping her moms run their flower shop. Instead, she finds that she has inherited a rambling estate and garden from her birth mother.

I was a little hesitant to read this novel, because I had enjoyed Cinderella is Dead right until the disappointing ending! Once I picked it up though, I was hooked. Bri’s character was fleshed out and her feelings obvious. I didn’t mind the so-called ‘slow burn’, I liked getting to know Bri’s family, circumstances and normal behaviors before she was tossed into a new world of plants, poisons and family secrets. Add in some Greek mythology and there was a tale I wanted to keep reading.

Other reviewers have complained that the author doesn’t use words such as lesbian to refer to Bri’s moms. I actually appreciated that! It’s not like every straight couple in other novels are said to be straight! Equally, it’s not stated that Bri and her moms are people of colour – it’s up to the reader to pay attention to the little nuances in physical appearance and habits to realize this (although this is probably given away by the beautiful, luscious cover art).

Let’s talk about the ending in general terms at least. Did I like it? No, no I did not. I honestly felt as if the publishers had told the author “Hey, we think this will be a big hit, make sure you prepare to write a sequel.” So then Bayron was required to leave it open! In the end, I didn’t like the way the antagonists showed up as there were too many holes in the reasoning.

Ultimately my take on this novel is to go buy it! But without knowing when the sequel will come out (or whether this is a duology/trilogy etc.) try to go into it realising that you’ll have to be patient to see the next installment. I’m not patient! So it’s four stars from me (to be updated if the second book is as fantastic as the first).

Bloomsbury | 29th June 2021 | AU$16.99 | paperback

Review: Elisabetta Dami – Thea & Geronimo Stilton Mouse novels (A)

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Rose Herbert

The Magic in the Mirror | Superstore Surprise
Thea & Geronimo Stilton

While I previously reviewed these children’s novels, I asked our resident avid 11-year old reader to give them a twirl and give me a review! Here’s her opinions on both of these novels.

The Magic in the Mirror

It was a spellbinding story with lots of action and fun. The ending was happy, and very satisfying. All the things that I wanted to happen did happen. It would have been a bit better if there had been more pictures, because I really wanted to see the mirror. I didn’t like that it’s always a prince and princess getting married – I’d prefer if they didn’t get married, because then how will they rule each kingdom equally? Each should go back to their own country and rule it. This was the favourite one out of all the others I have read (approximately 4 books). I would definitely read it again, maybe in a month or so.

Superstore Surprise

This book was not as good as the Magic in the Mirror or any other book in the series. It was the most disappointing book because I really thought it could have been longer than that, and I didn’t think that they would solve the mystery so quickly – this mystery wasn’t mysterious enough for me. It was a bit boring and the end was not satisfying.

The ending wasn’t satisfying, because it ended up that they just bought curtains and the evil person was now acting like a good person. This could be improved by making the answer to the mystery saboteur more complicated. I was able to guess it as soon as the first car drew up.