Rosepoint Publishing

The Absolute Definitive List of the Top Ten Best Selling Genres

Apparently, it is impossible to find one absolute definitive list of the top ten best selling genres anywhere–but can you find a list with 150? Yes, if you know where to look!

There are SOOO many variables out there from website to website. What is the focus? Is it hardback fiction, hardback non-fiction, paperback, or ebook? Are you asking the New York Times, USA Today, or Amazon? I recently wrote an article regarding Historical Fiction, and alluded to that genre’s sub-genres. This week I went looking for where the Historical Fiction genre related to all the others. See below for the breakdown. Continue reading “The Absolute Definitive List of the Top Ten Best Selling Genres”

Budweiser is Still King of Horse-Dog Commercials

I was struck by the recent post on Twitter by Ellen DeGeneres of the charming little picture of a dog and horse friendship and the obvious appreciation by Ellen as she noted, “They’re so cute and they nose it.”

Not the first picture of an unlikely pairing of animals far out of their own species, but as amazing and fun as the friendships between canines and felines or mammals and avians.

Sitting Horse and Dog — Sitting companions courtesy of pawmygosh.com

I suppose the bond between horse and dog isn’t so unnatural as the two have a history of working together under domestic situations for their humans the world over.

It’s Friday and we love cuteness overload. There are possibly few videos of a horse and dog relationship better than those Budweiser has put out over the years. What is your favorite?

10 Amazing Sub-Genre’s in Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction as a literary genre is generously broad and notoriously ambiguous in that the beginning of man can be included in the same spectrum of writing as our own recent Wild West. It was bound to happen then that sooner or later sub-genres would be broken out.

What is Historical?

In that it depicts and closely associates the period’s social conditions, manners, clothing, and environmental factors, the story can capture any century or millennia from the dawn of man. Generally, “historical” refers to publications written at least 50 years after the event. Considering an extended time frame, therefore, an author would usually be assumed to be writing from research rather than from experience. (In the relatively unusual case of my grandfather’s manuscripts, however, they were written some time shortly after his “sailing, mining, prospecting, and cowpoke days,” over 90 years ago but only recently published by myself.)

So if it’s all historical fiction, what are the ten sub-genres? Continue reading “10 Amazing Sub-Genre’s in Historical Fiction”

Heroine: A Brooke Kinley Adventures Novella – Book Review

New Book Review

Heroine: A Brooke Kinley Adventures Novella by A. S. Bond

Genre: Currently #1326 in Best Sellers Rank for Kindle eBooks, Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure, Women’s Adventures

Publisher: Castle Books

Publication Date: April 2016

Heroine: A Brooke Kinley Adventure Novella-Dark, Interesting Cover

Presented for Review through the “Reading Room” of Sage’s Blog Tours

August 1994 in St. Petersburg of Russia saw a gaggle of pretty girls giggling with each other and flirting with the boys who pretended not to stare while they slyly appreciated the attractive young foursome. It was just too, too easy for this experienced supplier and never should have happened; but it did.

And that was the last thing Anya and Sasha or their friends knew until they were on their way to the northern tip of Minnesota in America where, terrified, Anya ran when she got the chance and fell into the lake below where Brooke and her older brother Jaime were canoeing. It wasn’t long before Brooke and her brother realized they would have a problem protecting this girl, and she was shortly turned over to the local sheriff who would contact Homeland Security for the safe return to her homeland–or so they thought.

It’s not difficult to imagine that having once rescued this pretty, young and frantic person, Brooke would continue to think and worry about her well-being. A little more difficult, however, is the concept that 18-year-old Brooke Kinley (a soon to be investigative journalist still facing her first year of college), would be capable of throwing that safety net. Unfortunately, the sex-trafficking market is very real, even in America.

Brooke is not without strong allies in the small town where her family spent summers in their cozy log cabin and is well known and supported by the good guys, which may well save the day.

A novella, the author wastes no time getting deep into the plot and the storyline moves swiftly. These are not teenagers she is facing though, and the reality would be pretty terrifying. I suspect it might be challenging for an older person, male or female and well armed, much less an 18-year-old female armed with nothing but her wits. Still, the outcome is satisfying, and as I’ve not read “Patriot,” for which this is the prequel, I am not sure how this ties in to that full and best-selling novel. I downloaded the novella free in exchange for an honest review. I obviously have a little bit of a credibility issue here, but otherwise the tale is worth the read.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: A. S. Bond is a world traveling writer and journalist. She has traditionally published several non-fiction books in addition to her Brooke Kinley Adventures series. Her own adventures have taken her from the forests of Central America to D.C.’s corridors. The first book in the Brooke Kinley series, Patriot, was a bestseller and a finalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Ms. Bond is, above all, a wilderness survivor having canoed a remote part of Canada. ©2017 Virginia Williams

2017 Spring-Summer Fashions Are Here!

Once again, left in the dust when it comes to haute couture, I set out to see what kind of fashion Europe has cooked up for us this spring-summer and discovered they are not as heavily into the off-the-shoulder look as the home front would have us believe.

Thom Browne 2017 Fashion Collection — The Thom Browne 2017-18 Fashion Collection debuted in Paris in January.

The Entertainment Section of the Sacramento Bee, January 22, 2017, ran an impressive number of pictures that would set your heart aflutter; that is, before you noticed the price. But no problem–you’d definitely be in the “in” crowd with Thom Browne’s 2017-18 fashion collection that debuted in Paris the same month. It would appear they bought a huge bolt of this material though, as they presented two notable styles with the same fabric. Continue reading “2017 Spring-Summer Fashions Are Here!”

So Much Owed: An Irish World War 2 Story – Book Review

So Much Owed: An Irish World War 2 Story by Jean Grainger

Genre: Best Seller’s Rank #2 in Kindle eBooks, Literature & Fiction

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Publication Date: December 1, 2013

So Much Owed – Great Cover

Early protagonist Dr. Richard Buckley survives The Great War, but as with present day PTSD, not without scars–visible or not. He has seen far more than he ever wanted and it still tears him up.

His wife, Edith, bears twins James and Juliet, the latter of whom is spirited enough for both she and her much more reticent twin, James. Dr. Buckley is sickened at heart, but tries to take his place in his beloved Dunderrig, (West Cork) Ireland to serve as physician. He has brought with him the French bride, Solange Allingham, widow of his best friend, with whom they’d shared a pack to care for the other’s family in the event of the death of the other. Continue reading “So Much Owed: An Irish World War 2 Story – Book Review”

Winter May Be More Attractive South of I80

Just over 30 years old, Interstate 80 runs across the United States from San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey, which is actually in the New York Metropolitan Area, according to Wikipedia. The interstate is the second longest in the US (after Interstate 90) at 2,899 miles. Started in 1956, it wasn’t actually completed until 1986!

From California, the highway progresses over the Sierra Nevada range, through the barren, windy desert and over the Rockies, where it finally drops into the plains. This time of year that means everything from more rain in California, blizzard conditions in the mountains, and treacherous driving and flying most everywhere else.

More than half the country is expected to receive a major wallop in the next week with three successive storms. Meanwhile, there has been a wild variety of temps along the I80 corridor demonstrating what an expansive, topographically diversified country in which we live.

Around here they can’t remember a recent winter with this little snow (18″), but they are expecting small amounts from these systems. Meanwhile, it was 75 degrees in Goodyear AZ today. ©2017 Virginia Williams

Cat in the Flock

BOOK TOUR REVIEW –

Title: Cat in the Flock by Lisa Brunette

Genre: Currently #4380 in Best Seller’s Rank for Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Supernatural

Publisher: Sky Harbor, LLC

Publication Date: July 2014

Cat in the Flock – Cover conveys ethereal quality

Born into a family of “dreamslippers” that skips every other generation, protagonist Cat McCormick is the lucky generation to receive “the gift.”

Part of the “Dreamslipper Series” by Lisa Brunette, “Cat in the Flock” introduces a sideways twist to the always fascinating study of psychic or mystic receivers. Still struggling with how she will come to terms with this unusual paradigm, the recent college graduate has had problems finding employment in St. Louis and accepts an offer from Granny Grace to join her in Seattle where she will be groomed to take over Granny Grace’s PI firm as she carefully mentors her granddaughter in controlled dreamslipping as well. Continue reading “Cat in the Flock”