#RRBC Writers Conference & Book Expo

Do you like to write? Or read? Do you love books? Do you enjoy the tales crafted by talented authors?

Do you want to find a place where all of these things come together in an online conference where you can enjoy everything that writers have to offer?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes then you are in luck! Today sees the launch of the 5th Annual #RRBC Writers Conference & Book Expo; where you can meet authors, and discover new books. A place where you can find tips on everything from coming up with the first seeds of a story idea to promoting your finished novel, and every step in between.

So why not stop by? There is something to appeal to everyone.

https://rrbcwritersconferencebookexpo20.wordpress.com/

 

Exclusive Pedigree: My life in and out of the Brethren by John L Fear – Review

If I didn’t know better I would think that summer has arrived and all is well with the world. A weekend spent out in the garden, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, the fragrance of newly bloomed flowers, and the soft buzzing of fluffy bumblebees, can make you forget the nightmares that many people are currently living through.

I always enjoy reading while sitting out in the sun, and this brought me to the end of another book… this one:

Exclusive Pedigree by John L Fear

 

Blurb:  John Fear was born into a religious sect known as the Exclusive Brethren. This sheltered him from the outside world as he grew up, but could not hide him from its influences. A struggle began in his mind that led him to leave the Brethren, along with his young family.

Rather than reacting as many do and totally abandoning any belief system, John remained true to his convictions and continued a strongly religious way of life. Still serving God he worked in many places throughout the world, rubbing shoulders with famous people such as Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and Cliff Richard.

The writing style of this book is dynamic and engaging. John’s personality shines through and he paints an insightful account of his personal life and surrounding historical events. This account is not a sensationalised expose of the Exclusive Brethren. Instead, it follows one man’s life journey and is brought to life through his diary entries and family letters.

This beautifully edited book is more than a memoir. It is a delightful mix of history, social customs, travel and belief. An honest, personal and emotive account of how religion can touch and shape a person’s life – forever.

Rating:  3/5

My thoughts: I took my time over this book and reading it in small chunks was reminiscent of visiting an elderly relative and hearing about moments from their lives. It’s a well written tale of one man’s life, his family, and his beliefs.

While I could see the quality of the book I think it would appeal more to people with their own religious convictions, I think I was expecting more about John’s struggle in and out of the Brethren.

An interesting memoir which I am sure will touch many people.

“SO, YOU’RE RAISING YOUR GRANDKIDS!” by #RWISA Author, Harriet Hodgson.

Introducing author Harriet Hodgson – GRAND PRIZE Winner of the #RRBC 2019 KCT INT’L LITERARY AWARDS Contest with her book “So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids!”

Rochester, Minnesota resident Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance writer for 38 years, is the author of thousands of articles, and 36 books. She has a BS from Wheelock College in Boston, an MA from the University of Minnesota, and additional graduate training.
Hodgson is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). She is a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation, The Grief Toolbox, and The Caregiver Space websites. Visit http://www.thecaregiverspace.org/authors/hhodgson to read her articles.
Hodgson has appeared on more than 185 talk radio shows, including CBS Radio, dozens of television stations, including CNN, and dozens of blog talk radio programs. A popular guest, she has given presentations at public health, Alzheimer’s, bereavement, and caregiving conferences.
Her recent work is based on Hodgson’s 21 years as a family caregiver. She was her mother’s family caregiver for nine years, her twin grandchildren’s guardian and caregiver for seven years, and is in her fifth year as her disabled husband’s caregiver. Visit Harriet’s RRBC Author Page to find out more about this busy wife, grandmother, caregiver, and author, as well as more information on her many other books listed in the RRBC catalog.
***

BOOK BLURB
If you are a grandparent raising your grandchildren, help has arrived.

According to the US Census Bureau, more than 10% of all grandparents in the nation are raising their grandkids, and the number is going up. You may be one of the millions of these grandparents and it’s a role you never expected. Willing as you are to assume this role, you have some questions. How will I find the energy for this? Is my grandchild normal? What if I “blow it?” Each day, you look for ways to make life easier.

This book will:

•Help ease your worries and guilt;
•Offer tips for creating a grandfamily;
•Give methods for improving grandparent-grandchild communication;
•Suggest ideas for how you can connect with your grandchild’s school;
•Provide child development information;
•Recommend approaches to help your grandchild set goals;
•Stress the importance of having fun together;
•Offer ideas of how to foster your grandchild’s hopes and dreams.

So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids blends Harriet Hodgson’s wise and moving grandparenting story with recent research and findings. It shares her 21 years of caregiving experience, including seven years of raising her twin grandkids. Each chapter ends with What Works, proven tips for grandparents raising grandkids.

At the end, you’ll cheer for all the loving grandparents—including you—who are putting grandchildren first.

Welcome to the #RRBC #BLOG BLAST Event! #RRBC_Community #RRBCBlogBlast @RRBC_Org

You obviously enjoy reading a blog… so why not check out some of these by our amazing RRBC authors:

via Welcome to the #RRBC #BLOG BLAST Event! #RRBC_Community #RRBCBlogBlast @RRBC_Org

Book Review – Jonah by Jan Sikes

Do you have a few minutes to spare and fancy a quick read? Well that’s what I did last night and this time it was Jonah by Jan Sikes

Blurb:  Fantasy meets reality when a young man is forced to choose his punishment for crimes committed. Jonah must decide between imprisonment in a concrete box beneath the earth or be exiled to a deserted, barren island. He chooses the island, but nothing can prepare him for the deadly creatures, and poisonous plants at every turn. Then there’s the maddening isolation that drives him to the brink of insanity. There is only one way off this island and it’s more difficult than anything he’s ever imagined. It’s much easier to face mortal danger than the demons within. Will he find redemption, or another unexpected offer?

Rating:  3/5

My thoughts: I loved the idea of this story, a convict exiled to a deserted island, well deserted apart from the vicious creatures which constantly threaten his life.  A strange delivery of books lead Jonah on a journey of self discovery which will ultimately lead him to more discoveries than he could ever have imagined.

While I enjoyed this story, and it was very well written, it also felt a little lacking to me. I think it is such a good concept of a story line that it would have worked much better as a full novel. I would loved to have heard more about the life that lead Jonah to be on that island, and I would have enjoyed seeing his friendship grow more slowly to really convince me of his choices at the end. I would also love to know “what happens next”.

To me this felt more like an early working which would benefit from a lot of fleshing out to fully round it into an amazing tale.

Book Review – A Candle in the Darkness

In these troubled times sometimes it’s nice to escape – and a good read is the perfect way to help you forget your worries for a while.

Last night I read “A Candle in the Darkness” by Karen Black

Blurb: Is there life after death? Not according to Valerie. Following the accidental death of her husband, Randy, she Valerie was distraught. With her mother-in-law saying repeatedly that Randy was still with her, Valerie’s grief was amplified. Randy, had been the center of her life, and now he was gone. He was not with her. He died and was buried in a casket in the ground.
In spite of severe storm warnings, and against her in-laws’ advice, Valerie set out for Maryland, where she and Randy had been planning to live. It took a tornado, and the words of a stranger to show Valerie exactly how to move on without Randy; or was it with him?

Rating:  3/5

My thoughts: Valerie doesn’t believe in a life after death. When you’re gone you’re gone, and that is what her husband is. Gone. Taking shelter from a tornado in the cellar of a motel Valerie will learn things she never expected.

A well written short, that is easy to read. Unfortunately I felt a little dissatisfied by the time I got to the end. I found the climax of the story predictable, I had assumed this was where it was going very early into the story. I think I could have forgiven that in a longer read, if I had been given time to really grow to know the characters and their lives. A nice story but missing any wow factor.

#RRBC_Community – Where Authors Shine

Happy New Year, followers!  

 

I’d like to invite you to visit the ALL-NEW RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB at our new location > RaveReviewsBookClub.wordpress.com.

 

-If you are an author looking for amazing support, #RRBC is the place for you! 

-If you are looking to grow as a writer, #RRBC is the place for you!

-If you are looking for a community where your peers push for your success just as hard as they push for their own, #RRBC is the place for you! 

 

When visiting, we ask that you #follow our site so that you’re kept up-to-date with all the awesome news that we’ll be sharing in 2020.  

 

If you like what you see after looking around the site, then please, JOIN US!  We’d love to have you!

 

Book Review – One Dyke Cozy by Rhani D’Chae #RRBC

Happy New Year to everyone out there and welcome to my first review of the year… and this is it:

One Dyke Cozy by Rhani D’Chae

Blurb: People come into our lives for a day, a season, or a reason…
“Shy taught me to fight like a champion, love like a poet, & live like it was my last day on earth.”

One Dyke Cozy touches on the lives of two girls, Gabby and Shy, from their first meeting as children to Shy’s untimely death.

This novel contains profanity and adult situations.

Rating:  4/5

My Thoughts: A short but enjoyable read showing us the friendship between two girls, from the moment they meet at 8 years old, until Shy dies, far too young. The two lead characters are certainly very different but you can see how they bring out the best in each other and Gabby becomes the best woman she can be after she meets the tomboy and confident Shy.  Mr Happy is a third party in the relationship and, despite being an inanimate object, becomes very important to the two girls.

A good book if you a looking for something easy to read, uplifting and enjoyable.

Book Review – Zombie Dawn #RRBC

So the joy that is Nanowrimo is upon us once again and as such there isn’t really the time to indulge in a big read – this is when short stories can fill the bill. Last night I read:

Zombie Dawn by Rhani D’Chae

And this is what I thought…

Blurb:  In the late hours of a warm summer night, the residents of a quiet little street find that things are not so quiet, after all.

Rating: 5/5

My thoughts: For a short read this story certainly packs in a lot of action. In around an hour (for the reader) a nice quiet street turns into a nightmare as one by one residents fall prey to the zombie curse.  I enjoyed how the different characters discovered what was going on – and how each encounter with a zombie is different. A fun read – as long as you enjoy a good zombie tale.

Book Review – The Merest Loss by Steven Neil #RRBC

Well I appear to have another book review ready for you – I guess there are some advantages to this unemployment lark – now if only I could find the motivation to use the time to write as well as read!  But in the meantime let me tell you about:

The Merest Loss by Steven Neil

Blurb: When Harriet Howard becomes Louis Napoleon’s mistress and financial backer and appears at his side in Paris in 1848, it is as if she has emerged from nowhere. How did the English daughter of a Norfolk boot-maker meet the future Emperor? Who is the mysterious Nicholas Sly and what is his hold over Harriet? Can Harriet meet her obligations and return to her former life and the man she left behind? What is her involvement with British Government secret services? Can Harriet’s friend, jockey Tom Olliver, help her son Martin solve his own mystery: the identity of his father? The central character is Harriet Howard and the action takes place between 1836 and 1873. The plot centres on Harriet’s relationships with Louis Napoleon and famous Grand National winning jockey, Jem Mason. The backdrop to the action includes significant characters from the age, including Lord Palmerston, Queen Victoria and the Duke of Grafton, as well as Emperor Napoleon III. The worlds of horse racing, hunting and government provide the scope for rural settings to contrast with the city scenes of London and Paris and for racing skulduggery to vie with political chicanery. The Merest Loss is historical fiction with a twist. It’s pacy and exciting with captivating characters and a distinctive narrative voice.

Rating: 5/5

My Thoughts: I was given this book for an honest review and as this is not my normal genre I wasn’t sure if it was something I was going to enjoy. I found the first couple of chapters a little slow as I settled into the era and got to know the characters but before long I was hooked by the story and eagerly devouring each new chapter.

The story is generally split between two themes – Martin Harryet’s search to discover the identity of his father, and also the life of his mother Eliza Harryet and how she became Harriet Howard one time actress and one time mistress to Louis Napoleon.

This is a well crafted tale with believable, sometimes unlikable, characters, secrets and lies, and lost loves. One of the overwhelming feelings this story left me with was a real sympathy for Harriet Howard, a young woman who had dreams and love, and then had them taken from her at the whim of men who had other uses for her.

If, like me, you didn’t think this genre is for you I would suggest you still give the book a try as it is far more than just a period piece and is a brilliant and enjoyable read.  I would certainly happily read more by this author.