Book Reviews

How Valerie Found It, April 12, 2010

This review is from: Finding It: And Finally Satisfying My Hunger for Life (Paperback)
You may know Valerie Bertinelli from the hit TV series from the 1970's, One Day at a Time. I was a fan of her show which is what prompted me to get her book. I always found it refreshing to see her in the Jenny Craig commercials with her bubbly personality and enthusiasm connected with her weight loss and her love of life.

That same enthusiasm is apparent in her book titled, Finding It, the sequel to her book titled, Losing It, which is her point of view on her experience with weight loss.

When I heard she wrote the sequel, Finding it, which talks about her spiritual and family relationships, I was intrigued. And in the reading, I wasn't disappointed.

I loved Valerie's honesty, her frankness, and her wit as she shares her discovery of what 'maintenance' would mean to her with keeping her new found size in her success of weight loss.

I was refreshed by her point of view in undergoing a transformation that didn't just include numbers on a scale but also the strength and importance of her relationships, especially with her boyfriend, Tom, her son, Wolfie, and her other family and friend relationships, including her parents and former spouse Ed Van Halen.

She talks multi-dimensionally about her role as a mom in Wolfie's life: her disappointments, her desire to be cool and yet accomplish what she deemed as important steps in guiding him toward maturity, and ultimately her delight in connecting with and loving him.

I found myself cheering her on as she elaborates on her quest to get into a bikini. She discusses her support system she finds in her relationship with Tom and her trainer, and with her Mom and Dad.

The connection she feels spiritually, from all parts of life, is a relevant thread throughout her book which adds depth and heightened universal meaning.

One of my favorite parts of Valerie's book are her "Notes to Myself" which contain inspiring ideas related to food and to life, things she wants to accomplish, and relevant quotes containing universal appeal. I love her wit and enthusiasm and realistic point of view in these Notes.

I enjoyed Valerie's contagious passion and love for life in Finding It. Apparently, she found it.
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My Book Review for Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal (on Amazon.com)
Christina Katz, also known as The Writer Mama, gives you a platform to stand on, July 3, 2009

By
Dawn Herring "JournalWriter Freelance"(Dallas, Texas) -
When you first start out as a writer, one of the first things you may ask yourself is this: How do people find out that I exist? Or, in other words, How do I get known?
Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz answers that question. She gives you sound advice and practical steps toward making yourself known to the world around you, starting with right where you are.
In Christina's chatty and humorous style, she takes you step by step into the platform building process, which simply puts you more and more into the public eye.
She starts you off by asking you what your area of expertise might be in helping you to find your niche and your audience and motivates you with helpful visuals of where your book may end up on the bookstore shelves.

She encourages writers to join professional organizations, teach their expertise, host events in their area of expertise, and be ready to share what they know with their audience by getting out there and getting professionally involved in their community and beyond.

Christina promotes the development of getting your writing in print through freelancing and offering a service focused on your niche.

My favorite part of this book was the final section on growing your platform which includes deciding on your author name, your author identity, and your tag, which explains what you're about, and your bio.

She also covers the online dimension of a writer's platform, including building a website and an email signature, and she offers her perspective on blogging.

Christina has a way of building your confidence and motivating you to use the tools she provides to begin building your platform and growing your audience. When you follow through on her advice, you'll be well on your way to Getting Known.

This review was written by Dawn Herring, JournalWriter Freelance [...]DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0