SPR | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Secrets to Living a Fantastic Life by Dr. Allen Lycka and Harriet Tinka

The Secrets to Living a Fantastic Life by Dr. Allen Lycka and Harriet Tinka

Two survivors collaborate to tell their harrowing recollections and share their rise to successful aftermaths in the emotive, engaging, you-can-too guidebook, The Secrets to Living a Fantastic Life: Two Survivors Reveal the 13 Golden Pearls They’ve Discovered.

Dr. Allen Lycka was walking into the Magic Kingdom at Disneyland when he was noticed that his foot was, in his wife’s panicked assessment, “flapping.” After extensive testing, he learned he had ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and only six months to live. At age 52 with a reputation as a world-class cosmetic dermatologist and a happy family life, Dr. Lycka became angry, […]

SPR2020-08-31T07:40:56+02:00July 31st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

An Interview with Paul Corson: Author of Regaining Paradise

Paul Corson Paul Corson is a prolific writer, from Memphis Tennessee. Corson’s description of his otherworldly experiences were featured in ‘The Philadelphia Inquirer’. He went on to be interviewed about his transcendent encounters on the Karen Grant Show and also on local and national TV. As a pharmacist, Corson established a protocol for the treatment of HIV/AIDs. Corson received the 2000 Philadelphia Hero Award for his contributions in supporting AIDS survivors.

Paul published the book, Touched by God: A Search for Higher Truth in 2004. His poem, “What Can Comfort Those Who Have Lost a Loved One,” has been read at each […]

SPR2020-07-17T04:10:25+02:00July 17th, 2020|Categories: Interviews|

Review: Whole Mind Facilitation by Eric Meade

Whole Mind Facilitation by Eric Meade

In Whole Mind Facilitation: How to Lead Workshops that Change People, Organizations, and the World, award-winning writer Eric Meade provides innovative and intellectually sound strategies for workshop leadership.

Meade’s thesis is simple, using the model of a house in which there are two rooms, with a basement. The rooms are Intuition and Thought, and the basement is Emotion. Meade states that to get from thought – one’s ideas and factual material regarding an issue – to intuition – one’s ability to create new ideas around that issue, one must pass through “the basement” – embracing personal motivation and insight, […]

SPR2020-08-11T03:12:08+02:00June 27th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Business Book Reviews, Leadership Book Reviews|

Journey of a Twelve-Year-Old Author

A majority of existing novels implicate important messages, whether they are directly or vicariously stated. My recently published book, The Black Sisterhood Files, is a murder mystery that bears a veiled, yet sincere, moral: even the most villainous of creatures have love situated at the core of their hearts. The piece below is my humble attempt at sharing what inspired me to write the novel and my path to getting it published at the age of twelve. I don’t claim this to be a recipe for success for everyone, nor do I think that perception of affluence is uniform; […]

SPR2020-06-25T09:05:32+02:00June 25th, 2020|Categories: Member Blog|

8 Easy Tips for Fiction Writing

1) It is Important to Show, Not Tell

First off it is important to show, not tell. Showing is based around description and that really helps a reader become engaged in a story and understand the situation the character is in. Telling is more of an expository summary of something, which as I’m sure you’ll agree isn’t quite as exciting!

Knowing your audience and creating characters that they not only engage with but also empathize with is very important. I try to create characters that kids can look up to as role models that deal with situations and issues that […]

SPR2020-06-25T08:06:07+02:00June 25th, 2020|Categories: Member Blog|Tags: Writing Tips|

Review: Search: A Guide for College and Life by Barbara Roquemore EdD and Jeff Duffey MD

Search: A Guide for College and Life by Dr. Barbara Roquemore EdD and Dr. Jeff Duffey M.D.

An innovative exploration of what is really needed to prepare for college is presented in Search: A Guide for College and Life by Barbara Roquemore EdD, an associate professor of Professional Learning and Innovation, and Jeff Duffey MD, a psychiatrist and author. Both specialize in work with students and offer useful insights for those entering college or moving through its stages.

Unlike many such guides, this book is geared toward looking both outward, at technical and practical considerations, and inward, at personal inclinations and ambitions. Issues covered include self-assessment and personal motivation, specific academic plans, lodging and sustenance, friendships with […]

SPR2020-08-03T06:26:21+02:00June 24th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Education|

Texas Off-Road Racing by Mike Kowis, Esq.

Brimming with passion and amusing anecdotes, Texas Off-Road Racing by Mike Kowis, Esq. is an entertaining journey through the sport of UTV off-road racing, as well as a touching family story. While doubtlessly, Kowis’ book will be most appealing to those who are familiar with the sport, he provides enough information that the layman can understand what it takes to compete, with the author’s love of racing taking the front seat, which is infectious. The play-by-play of one race goes a long way to filling in the details, so there is some repetition, but the strong use of visuals throughout […]

SPR2020-06-04T09:19:43+02:00June 4th, 2020|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Review: Gates by Jay Green

Gates by Jay Green

A short but significant collection of ideas, memories, and imaginings are offered in the varied and expressive work of poetry, Gates by Jay Green.

The volume opens with a reflection on judging and condemning others, “Namesake.” The poet suggests that trust and forgiveness play a role in finding balance and “braving any distance” between people. “Sunset on the Bayou” paints the lovely perception that “Someone dropped ice cream on my Louisiana sky,” inviting him to relax and watch the celestial substance melt. An interesting take on writing is explored in “Penmanship” in which, as a child, Green tried to imagine […]

SPR2020-06-18T03:16:02+02:00May 27th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|