In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

FROM NETGALLEY:

Go Green! A Family Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle by From Disney's Mickey & Friends Collection
Why Do Buses Come in Threes? The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life by Rob Eastaway & Jeremy Wyndham
The Wedding Secret by Jeannie Moon

Review: Matched to a Billionaire by Kat Cantrell

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Wanted: one convenient wife
Venture capitalist Leo Reynolds is married to his work, but now he needs a wife. Someone to run his home, host his parties—and accept a marriage that's strictly business. His one rule: love will play no part in their union. At least that's the lie he tells himself, until he meets his match….
Enter Daniella White—handpicked by the matchmaker as the perfect wife. Marriage to Leo means security, and she's willing to give up passion for friendship. But the moment they meet, sparks fly. And now temptation—and Leo's own heart—have the billionaire ready to change all the rules.

MY TAKE:
It's been awhile since I've been interested in reading a romance novel but I just couldn't pass up this one after reading the premise.

In Matched to a Billionaire, Leo Reynolds is a billionaire workaholic looking for a wife who can understand that his priority is his job. The role is more personal-assistant-meets-public-relations-specialist, but Daniella White is happy to accept, especially if it means security for her and better care for her ill mother.

If you've read Harlequin romances before, you already pretty much know how this book is going to end. However, the getting-there part is interesting. The tone is what I've come to expect from a Harlequin novel. The romance, the conflict, the characters are sort of standard (but not stock) for Harlequin novels and are very comforting especially if you like your romance novels a certain way.

I've always liked the whole matchmaking-and-arranged-marriage/relationships plot because there's usually a lot of things that can happen and ways for the characters to react to each other. One of my favorite Korean movies is My Little Bride. If you haven't seen it yet, don't be put off by the title. You should definitely go and watch this one as it's a cute rom-com with lovable characters.

Anyway, in the novel, despite their instant spark, Daniella and Leo try to stick to their business-arrangement marriage. Eventually, though, they want a little more and things get complicated.

There were a couple of parts that felt a little too melodramatic to me and cutting them down a little bit would have made the story feel a little tighter and maybe a little more focused. I could definitely see this as a movie.

Leo was an okay guy, although there were moments when I felt like shaking him and telling him that he should act like a businessman and find ways for him to get what he wants. Daniella was a strange character for me, in the sense that, sometimes I liked her and sometimes I disliked her. Her desire to be a housewife might not sit well with everybody, but even though I like having a regular job, I would have been just as happy managing a household the way she does. There were other moments when she was perfectly agreeable and witty and I liked that. The thing I didn't like about her was all the constant references to her feisty side being Scarlett (as in Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind). The first few mentions of Gone With the Wind characters was cute. However, in time, it started to feel like Dannie had a split personality.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlewuin Desire for the e-ARC. Publication date of Matched to a Billionaire is on July 1, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. Dannie and Leo have excellent chemistry.
2. It's nice to live vicariously through Dannie.
3. The plot is predictable but the story itself has interesting developments and is, overall, a fun read. 

THE BAD:

1. There are moments that feel a tad too dramatic. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Fairy tales were stories about magical solutions to problems and full of people who fell in love, but whose real relationships couldn't possibly stand the test of time.

READ IT IF:

1. You like stories with arranged marriages or matchmakers.
2. You secretly dream of being a wealthy socialite wife to a caring, passionate husband.
3. You like characters that have a lot of chemistry. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Stars of the World Cup by Illugi Jökulsson

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

World Soccer Legends
Everything you need to know about most exciting clubs and the best players on the planet.
Stars of the World Cup
Learn all about twenty-eight of the best players competing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, from unstoppable scorers like Messi and Ronaldo to crafty playmakers like Iniesta and Modric, and ironclad defenders like Philipp Lahm and Thiago Silva.
Get the inside scoop on their strengths and weaknesses heading into the showdown in Brazil.
See incredible action shots of their on-field wizardry.

MY TAKE:
If you only have a passing knowledge of soccer and you want to prepare yourself for the upcoming World Cup, this book is a must-read.

Stars of the World Cup provides an analysis of the top players from the different countries competing in the World Cup. Some of the information included for each player are birth year, team during the World Cup and during regular seasons, and childhood backgrounds.

All the players have positive and negative points mentioned, so just reading the book can give you at least basic knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of the players. Based on what I read, the top players are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, which is consistent with what I know from occasionally reading international sports news.

Based on what I read from the book, it also seems to me like the teams to beat are Spain and Brazil. We'll find out if these analyses are correct once the World Cup opens.

Thanks to NetGalley and Abbeville Kids for the e-ARC. Publication date of Stars of the World Cup is on June 10, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. We get to learn about the players' backgrounds.
2. The book lists each player's strengths and weaknesses.
3. You get a feel for which teams will do well in the World Cup. 

THE BAD:

1. As with most sports, you never know if some unknown or unrated player suddenly does well and becomes the deciding factor in his team's victory. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Interestingly, even though Ronaldo has been overshadowed by Messi for the past couple years, this has not discouraged him at all but only spurred him on to greater achievements. 

READ IT IF:

1. You want to participate in World Cup conversations.
2. You want to learn more about soccer's star players.
3. You want to seem knowledgeable about current soccer superstars. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Jack Wang, Holman Wang

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Give a kid a classic! Cozy Classics is the popular board book series that presents well-loved stories to children aged 0+ through twelve child-friendly words and twelve needle-felted illustrations. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain’s American masterpiece about one boy’s struggle of conscience as he ventures down the Mississippi River, and is one of the world’s most beloved classics. Now you can share this classic with children of any age. www.mycozyclassics.com

MY TAKE:
This book is another great addition to this series.

In Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the story of Huckleberry Finn is retold in a few words and illustrated by photographs of felt-covered dolls.

Like the other books in the series, this book does a good job of picking words and important scenes that help tell the story of Huckleberry Finn. The pictures are as cute as ever and should appeal to kids, especially those of younger age.

This is a nice read for very young children, even if you don't really remember everything that happened in the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simply Read Books for the e-ARC. Publication date of Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is on May 23, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. It can help increase a child's vocabulary.
2. It's able to tell the story using only a few words and pictures depicting key scenes.
3. You can read the book as is or include a little more detail. 

THE BAD:

1. If you don't know or remember the novel, you may not be able to answer questions about the particular scenes depicted. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

pal 

READ IT IF:

1. You want to introduce your child to the classics.
2. You want to help increase your child's vocabulary.
3. Your child likes board books. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Review: Paycheck Independence Day Learn How to Use Your Paycheck to Stop Needing a Paycheck by Thomas P. Rood

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Paycheck Independence Day is a book that answers the question “What should I do with the money I have left over every month so I don’t have to work a job to pay my bills?”
Most people are going to work 40 or 50 years just hoping they saved up enough money to retire. Paycheck Independence Day shows them that the average person only needs to work 10, maybe 15 years before they no longer need a paycheck to pay their bills. And, they don’t have to wait 10 or 15 years before they enjoy the rewards. They can start enjoying them immediately.
The author introduces the Paycheck Independence Day Categories of Bills. He explains why the old categories like utilities, automobile, home, etc. are useless for managing your money. Then, he walks you through the very simple logic behind assigning your bills to the Paycheck Independence Day categories.
Once your bills are assigned to the correct category he shows everyone the right way to pay each bill based on the category it belongs to. Each bill is eliminated one-by-one until none your bills are being paid out of your paycheck any longer.
The Paycheck Independence Day money management system is simple, easy and fun. It was designed for the average person who works a job to pay their bills.

MY TAKE:
The title of this book was enough to intrigue me to request for a copy.

In Paycheck Independence Day Learn How to Use Your Paycheck to Stop Needing a Paycheck, readers are given tips and tricks they can use in order to save more money and be able to pay their bills without using money from their paycheck.

I wasn't even halfway through the first chapter when I got the feeling that I was reading the transcript of a financial seminar. That's not necessarily good or bad thing. It's just an observation on my part as the tone of the writing is similar to the dialogue and tone I've heard in such seminars.

There were a number of interesting tips here. It certainly got me thinking about looking at stocks that pay dividends. My mom has some stocks that pay dividends and I've been meaning to get some of my own but I wasn't sure how to go about it. The idea of categorizing bills according to their priority is a good idea too.

As expected, there are computations within the book. The book also includes information on calculating inflation rates, which is very useful.

There were quite a few concepts in this book that were different from how I view it, but the explanations here make sense in their own way.

However, this book is obviously aimed at the American market so while you can still use most of the things in this book, if you're from outside the United States, there are things here that you won't be able to relate to or use.

The book itself doesn't have worksheets, which would have been useful, but the book's website has tools you can use. At the time I wrote this review, however, the tools section was still under construction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Smith Publicity - Plainview Products, Inc. for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It makes you think about your finances in a whole new way.
2. There are helpful tips for things you need to calculate.
3. There are plenty of helpful tips. 

THE BAD:

1. Some may prefer a more straightforward writing tone.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

As my father always told me "Tom, it's not how much you make. It's how much you save." 

READ IT IF:

1. You're interested in learning about ways to invest.
2. You want to feel more secure about your future.
3. You want to not feel dependent on your paycheck. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

For beginners and amateurs, rental properties can be a real shark tank - a virtual ocean of piranhas so to speak.

Book Reviewer Yellow Pages Book Blast

Are you trying to promote your books? Are you a writer, publisher, or agent?

Promote your book with this bestselling author's reference, the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages. Make your book promotion easier, and get the publicity you need from book reviewers. Learn how and where to submit your book for review. There are hundreds of new book reviewers listed in this book. Each listing details the individual book reviewer's:

1. Contact information,
2. Pet peeves,
3. Preferred genres, and
4. Submission guidelines

Reviewers are rated for quality and influence. This new edition includes several blog tour sites and their submission guidelines. Learn how to get the exposure that your book deserves! Authors and book reviewers can sign up for alerts at: http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net

*Note: This book is enrolled in the Kindle MATCHBOOK program. If you purchase the paperback from Amazon, the Kindle edition is free. The paperback has a genre index, which makes searching for accepted genres easy. The Kindle version has clickable website links (which is impossible to do in a paperback), so you can click directly to the reviewer's site and contact page. The publisher of this book recommends purchasing the paperback and then downloading the Kindle edition for free using Amazon's Matchbook program, and using both versions to maximize your promotion efforts.

PROMO TIP: This is a reference book with active hyperlinks in the e-book. It is easier to view and use the Kindle edition of this book on a computer using Amazon's free Kindle app. That way, you can use the full screen to check genre preferences and submit your query right from your desktop.

Purchase

Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Amazon

Interview with Christine Pinheiro, Editor, Defiant Press

The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages is a bestselling author’s promotional reference, designed specifically for authors who need book reviewers for their books.

Where did you get the idea for the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages?

At first, I did it purely out of self-interest! I wrote a nonfiction book in 2007, and I had a very difficult time finding book reviewers. It seemed like an impossible task. All of the regular outlets were closed to me—where do you go when you can’t get a review in the New York Times? Where do the “little guys” go when they need to promote their books? So I started the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages out of my own frustration. At first, the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages was just a big list on a simple website. I added to the list when I had spare time. Book reviewers started seeking me out, and asking to be put on the list, and it just grew from there. In 2009, I published the first “Book Reviewer Yellow Pages,” and the rest is history. The list just grew organically. Now we have hundreds of book reviewers on our list, and thousands of authors subscribe to the newsletter.

How about the book reviewers themselves, what do they get out of it?

Many book reviewers just do it for fun, and they get the benefit of free books and ARCs (advance review copies). Quite a few of them also earn money, either from sidebar advertising, blog tours, or other author’s services. There are so many self-published authors out there right now, trying to promote their books without the help of a traditional publisher, so there’s a lot of little business ventures cropping up to serve them.

Many reviewers list their “pet peeves,” is this something that the authors really want to know?

Yes! It’s the most popular part of the questionnaire—all the reviewers have their own horror stories. Sadly, many authors have terrible etiquette when they request book reviews. Many don’t take the time to even spell-check their queries, or find out if the reviewer is a man or a woman, so they can address them correctly! I used to review books myself, and it’s amazing how many times I’ve gotten a review request with nothing but a link to the book. No signature, no salutation, nothing! Why would I review your book, when you aren’t even willing to take a few minutes to send me a proper review request? We also added an “author etiquette” section to the front of the book, and that seems to help a bit.

Do Book Reviews really help sales?

They’ve helped my own book sales tremendously, and I know hundreds of authors who would say the same. Look, everyone knows that book promotion is boring work. Contacting dozens of book reviewers is time consuming, and you have to deal with rejection, but the payoff from a positive book review is enormous. That’s been the case in my own writing career. Reviews really help sales, and it’s nice to have a public testimonial that customers can refer to when they purchase. On the flip side, many of the reviewers accept ARCs and also work as beta-readers, so if you can get a few good reviewers to read through your manuscript before publication, they might be able to give you valuable feedback. I found a big plot hole in one of my novels that way—a reviewer found the problem, and I was able to fix it before the book went to publication.

Do reviewers ever drop off the list? Can authors get updates?

Yes, on our website. Reviewers get added and removed on a regular basis—and the list goes through a complete overhaul once a year. I do a formal update every April. That’s when we put out a new edition of the book, as well as update the reviewer list on the website. The abbreviated list on the website is free, and authors and publishers can sign up for updates to the list here: http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net. The newsletter is also free.

Do you have any advice for authors?

Be polite to book reviewers, always. Not everyone is going to like your book, that’s just the nature of game. But publishing is a business, and it pays to be professional. It’s just like any other creative business. Reviewers are our critics, and they give us valuable feedback that we need to improve. One of the best reviews I ever received on the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages was mildly negative. The writer gave me tons of feedback on how to make the book better. I followed his advice, and the book has been more profitable since. Book Reviewers really want to help authors—I’ve never met a single book reviewer that was interested in just tearing an author down. We are all in this business together!

For more information visit:
The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages
Website * Facebook

Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/31/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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