Starving (Audio)review: The Flight to Brassbright by Lori Alden Holuta

The Flight to Brassbright by Lori Alden Holuta, narrated by Lea Popielinski (Audible)

Good morning, my literary foodies! Let’s start our Friday off right with a quick Starving Audioreview for a meal I’ve previously dined on in the written form, The Flight to Brassbright! A coming of age steampunk adventure, it was a delightful read but how well does Flight stack up in an audio format?

Quite well, as it turns out! The audiobook edition is completely unabridged so listeners won’t miss any of the original tale while the narrator does an excellent job both voicing the main character Constance while providing a broad range of accents and vocal stylings to bring the rest of the cast to life. There is a lot of heart to her narration, something that gets across the delightful sense of wonder and discovery that characterized the original book.

Definitely deserving a hearty round of applause all around, the audiobook edition of The Flight to Brassbright is well worth a listen, as excellent as the written edition. If you’re an on-the-go audiophile who wants to hear some fun and wonderful steampunk literature, definitely pick this one up. If you’ve read the book and are curious, rest assured this is a worthwhile purchase!

FINAL VERDICT: ***** (As wonderful and heartfelt as the written edition!)

General News: A Week of Sick (Not The Cool 90’s Kind of Sick)! a.k.a. Recovery and Getting Back to Work

So it’s been quiet around here for a little bit after my last big announcement and I apologize for that. Unfortunately, unlike some silences, this one wasn’t for a good reason as I’ve been sick as all get out for a bit. Thankfully, I’m now back to maybe 80 percent, which means things are about to get back to business.

Some quick updates on what little I have managed to accomplish in the meantime:

• Rune Service has been moved back to later this month. The manuscript is tight, the editing is just about done, and the art is on its way!
• Everything is on course for Pensacon! My stock should be in next week, as well as some fresh new business cards. My excitement continues to grow!
• I did get some reading and some listening done while I was convalescing. We will have both a Starving Review and a Starving Audioreview this coming week, maybe even TWO Reviews.
• My schedule is also heating up as I enter into some new writing and editing contracts this month. That may mean we’ll be sticking to the bare basics in terms of updates until these deadlines are met. Wish me luck!

Thank you for your patience in this regard! Expect new content by the end of the week and until then, good reading, good writing, and good luck!

Starving Review: Take the Body and Run (Macey Malloy Mysteries Book 1) by Jada Ryker

Take the Body and Run (Macey Malloy Mysteries Book 1) by Jada Ryker (Amazon, Goodreads)

Break out your knives and forks, my literary foodies, as we have a particular treat to dig into today! Branded as a murder mystery with a chick-lit twist, the recipe for today’s dish was chosen as the winner of the 2016 Kindle Scout program, so we must be in for some high dining tonight, yes? A dash of mystery, the spice of a thrilling murder, and the flavor of women’s fiction, there should be a lot of promise here, especially with such a sterling superlative added to it. But will that turn out to be the case?

Before we solve that mystery, let us go through the files for the Starving Review regulations:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Monday, uh, Wednesday Musings?: WORKLOAD MAXIMUM! Oh, and Kindle Unlimited things.

Right, so I’m obviously a bit behind on Ye Ole Blogging and Reviews, good sirrah!

There is a good reason for this, though!  Unfortunately, it’s not something I can be completely clear and transparent about *quite* yet.  What I can tell you are these things:

• It’s a writing related thing and a collaboration related thing.
• I really, really promise to try to get back and caught up on reviews soon!
• I should be in a sufficient groove shortly to be back on track in general around here.

In other news, I have decided to take a chance and focus my writing and marketing efforts by enrolling most of my books into the Amazon Kindle Select program. Yes, I know it’s giving into the evil corporate overlords, but you also have to realize that I’ve sold almost no books EVER through all the other channels I was putting books out through.  Outside of free books, which really don’t count as ‘sales’ when they don’t translate into reads of the sequels, there was never really an ‘upside’ to having a wide distribution.

Will this pan out into better interest and more focused promotion?  I don’t know yet, but it’s worth a try, isn’t it?

Book News: An Unexpected Treat! a.k.a. Another Review of The Opening Bell

Another review of The Opening Bell, from the unabridged audiobook, has hit!  Take a look at it HERE!

Monday Musings: You Can Get Your Book Reviewed Faster! a.k.a. Here’s How!

It’s pretty obvious what this is going to be about.  But we’re going to do it with vocals today!  This is a serious issue so hearing it straight from the messenger’s mouth.  Here we go!

Starving Review Preview: Hometown Pride, HO! a.k.a. Local Author Reviews Coming!

Just a quick, additional update to prepare you, my literary foodies, for the weeks to come!

Starting next week, I’ll be tackling the pile of books from local authors I bought/received during Pensacon this year.  As you all know, I love my fellow creators, starting both my review service and editing services with aiding the indie writer and the local writer out.  This is just a natural extension of that!

I have five delightful authors to go through, staring with the ever-lovable S. Usher Evans and the first book of her Raiza series, Double Life.  I hope you all enjoy and find a fresh new author to love!

Starving Review: The Legend of The Engineer: A New Year’s Holiday Tale by Lori Alden Holuta

The Legend of The Engineer: A New Year’s Holiday Tale by Lori Alden Holuta (Amazon, Goodreads)

This week, we are serving up short stories in the Starving Review kitchen.  The Legend of The Engineer is a short tale set in the world of The Brassbright Chronicles, which we have been served a meal from before.  The first was a bright, cheery steampunk dish for younger readers.  Will this small slice from that same cake taste as good or will it be diminished by the smaller portion?

As the pneumatic table service sets the plates, let us recall the Starving Review bylaws:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Starving Review: Krim Du Shaw by Talia Haven

Krim Du Shaw by Talia Haven (Amazon, Goodreads)

This week, we are serving up short stories in the Starving Review kitchen.  Seeking to follow the recipe of the fairy tales of old, Krim Du Shaw promises magic and something ready for reluctant readers.  Will this modern fable deliver or has this recipe gotten too old to stand the test of time?

Before we answer those questions, let us bring forth Ye Olde Starving Review Laws:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Monday Musings: A Failure to Communicate a.k.a. My Stumbles in Communities

I’ve heard it said many times that it is vital for a starting author to cultivate their position in the authorial community.  Frequent forums, comment and support blogs, and provide what support you can for other starting authors, those were watchwords.  Some even would take it to the unfortunate (and unethical) extreme of suppressing negative reviews or inflating them into positive reviews.  That, though, is the extreme, and there’s nothing wrong with the rest of it.  In fact, taking our own experiences with the art of writing and giving it to others is a way for all of us to improve our craft.