The Sultan’s Favorite
BY: Anne Burnside
PUBLISHED BY: iUniverse
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4401-1907-1
Pages: 435
Ages: Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In this sequel to Gaton Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” the phantom, Erik, is living in the Ottoman Empire. He’s working as the sultan’s personal architect. He’s still mourning the rejection of his love, Christine.

The sultan takes a third wife, Alexandria - the widow of the ruler of Constantinople, and demands Erik to make changes in the designs for the new palace. The sultan wants his new wife to have her own court.

Erik hates Ottoman Empire and the way the women and slaves are treated. He remains there to finish the palace because he believes it will be his greatest achievement. With one look at Alexandria, he knew she was unlike the sultan‘s other wives. She was smart, beautiful and independent. Erik begins spending time with her. Alexandria wants to get closer to this masked man.

Erik tries to control his ongoing feelings for her. He never thought he could ever feel this way about another woman after Christine’s rejection. Soon, he can no longer hold back his feelings. He starts a passionate affair with Alexandria.

Being a fan of the original novel, I was intrigued in reading “The Sultan’s Favorite.” After reading the first few pages, I was hooked. Author Anne Burnside has done a wonderful job in continuing Erik’s journey into this violent world of the Ottoman Empire. I was surprised to find two other characters from Gaton Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera” pop into the latter half of the book. I recommend reading this book if your fan of the original or for anyone who wants to read a good romance.

*Note: I would like to thank the author for sending me this book to read and review.

Runaway Storm
BY: D.E. Knobbe
PUBLISHED BY: Emerald Book Company
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-934572-35-1
Pages: 223
Ages: Young Adult
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In the first book of the Runaway series, author D.E. Knobbe introduces us to an almost fifteen year-old boy named Nate. He’s a troubled kid who’s having problems adjusting to his parents split and the recent move to New York.

Nate decides he needs a break from his life and comes up with the prefect scheme. He’s going to go kayaking by himself. He tells his mother that his dad wants him to fly to Vancouver while she is away in Paris. He forgot to mention that his dad is on a business trip.

He is quickly on his way to Vancouver with two hundred dollars in cash and his mother’s credit card. When he arrives at his father’s place, he finds his birthday present – a brand new, yellow kayak. Two of his friends, Mike and Eric, helps Nate buy supplies and helps him get to Galiano Island.

Nate launches his Kayak into the waters unaware of the adventures and dangers ahead of him. From drug dealers, to runaways and even a goth girl, this is a journey Nate will never forget.

“Runaway Storm” is an exciting coming to age story. Male readers will easily connect with Nate and relate to some of the problems he faces. I will warn you that there is some mild language in this book. Overall, I enjoyed reading “Runaway Strom” and will look forward to the second installment in the series.

*Note: I would like to thank the author for sending me this book to read and review.

Battling the Unknown: The Last Rawl Trilogy

BY: Meg Christian

PUBLISHED BY: Infivity Publishing.com

PUBLISHED IN: 2008

ISBN: 0-7414-4793-2

Pages: 146

Ages: Teen & Up

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In book one of the trilogy, the young author Meg Christian has created the fantasy world of Umberodia. In this land is a sixteen year old Katrina Rawl. Her mother passed away when she was very young. Since then, she has lived with her aunt. Katrina spends her days selling vegetables on the side of the road. She likes to read books which is something that is forbidden by the Emperor.

Katrina stumbles upon a letter written by her mother. In the letter is a message that she is suppose to give to Amile the Warrior. Soon after, the Emperor sends out his army to do a routine house by house search. The army reports back to the Emperor telling him of a young girl named Katrina Rawl. The Emperor knows this must be the only daughter of Marianne Rawl. He orders his army to retrieve the girl.

When the army arrives the next night, Katrina slips out of the house and escapes. She heads to Ioni where she hopes to find the Amile the Warrior. On the way she finds may other dangers. She also meets a skittish bird named Twitter and a young man named Arlon who help her on the journey.

This is an adorable tale set in an original world of Umberodia. Meg Christian’s love of adventure and storytelling is shown in Battling the Unknown: The Last Rawl Trilogy. The young author is donating all of the profits to the Southern New Hampshire Rescue Mission. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good quest and wonderful characters.

PUBLISHED BY: Tom Weston Media
PUBLISHED IN: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-981-94130-1
Pages: 253
Ages: Teen & Up
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Author Tom Weston brings us an old fashioned ghost tale in First Night. The story begins with Sarah Pemberton who has caught the small pox. A family friend, Captain John Ayres, gives her an ivory bracelet to wear. Sarah dies.

The story skips to the present day. Alexandra O’Rourke and her younger sister, Jackie, are spending their New Year’s Eve with their aunt and uncle in Boston. They’re California girls and rather be home partying than spending their vacation in Boston.

PUBLISHED IN: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-595-457168
Pages: 258
Ages: Teen & Up
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

In this first chapter of the Chronicles of the Stone, Adam and his cousin Justin are invited to go on a trip to Egypt by their Aunt Isabel and their Grandmother. The boys are excited about visiting another country. Their Aunt tells them that the archaeologist, James Kinnaird, has disappeared while looking for the tomb of the Scarab King. The tomb of the Scarab King is just a legend and has never been proven to exist by any archaeologist.

PUBLISHED BY: Nightengale Press
PUBLISHED IN: 2007
ISBN: 978-1-933449-43-2
Pages: 291
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Have you ever wanted to be a published writer? “Calling All Authors – How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open” tells what traps and mistakes to avoid during publishing. Should you use a traditional publishing company or should you publish the book yourself? Will you need a publicist? An editor? Or a proofreader? These are just some of the questions that author Valerie Connelly, founder of Nightengale Press, answers in this book.

There are many myths and tales about the publishing world. “Calling all Authors,” explains these myths and brings them into reality for writers. A lot of new writers think their books will be an instant bestseller. You’ll learn that books don’t become bestsellers overnight.

As a writer myself, I enjoyed reading “Calling All Authors.” I learned that even in traditional publishing you’ll have to do some marketing of your own. You can’t just sit back and expect the book to just sell itself. Learn how to promote your book by using the internet. Learn how to benefit from good and bad book reviews.

I recommend “Calling All Authors” to all upcoming writers of any genre. This book will help you with those difficult decisions you will come across while publishing your novel.

Authors Access: 30 Success Secrets for Authors and Publishers

BY: Irene Watson, Tyler R. Tichelaar & Victor R. Volkman

PUBLISHED BY: Modern History Press

PUBLISHED IN: 2009

ISBN: 978-1-932690-98-9

Pages: 220

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Authors Access: 30 Success Secrets for Authors and Publishers is a wonderful handbook for any writer. It is a compilation of podcasts from the internet radio show called Authors Access.

The authors share great tips about the craft and myths of writing. You learn about writing about romance, mystery and other genres. Being a writer myself, I found the book interesting. I enjoyed the chapters on children’s books and the article “Exploring Ghostwriting, co-Authoring, and Collaborating” by Ami Hendrickson. This is the first time I have read anything on ghostwriting. It was a joy to read.

There is a lot of information on promoting your book by the use of the internet. In “Book Marketing on MySpace,” you learn how to set up a successful myspace profile, and learn how an author can use it to promote their work effectively.

Every author needs to know how to use Amazon.com to sale their books. In “Amazon Adventures: Staring Down Earth’s Largest Bookstore,” you learn how to use advantage and associate programs.

There are four wonderful articles about book reviews and how to use them to your advantage. My favorite was, “Negative Book Reviews: How to Avoid Them, and How to Use Them to Your Advantage.”

One of the downfalls of the book is that it concentrates too much on self-publishing. I would’ve liked to have read more article on traditional publishing in magazines and big publishing houses. Overall I found Authors Access to be a great reference tool that every author should have on their desk.