Category Archives: Book reviews

Diana’s October Review ~ Inhabiting the House and Other Poems by Roderick Hart

What more can I say, that Alexander Scott hasn’t?

I had my favourite poems, of course. Here are a few extracts:

from RETIRING TEACHER

I have bottled my youthful wine

for a lifetime now, and find

that I have nothing left but brine.”

from 1 AM WHAT I APPEAR TO BE

I used to amble on

long hair, open sandals

straight out of the pages of the

Good Book onto the stage.

A celebrant of sorts,

some would say a sage.

Great stuff Roderick Hart. There’s a bit of Tom Paxton about you too!

Click on the cover below for more information:

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Filed under Book reading, Book reviews, Memoirs

Diana Jackson’s October Review ~ or Not!? A Novel Idea ~ Selling books in bookshops!

I usually keep my reviews very positive. If I would not give a book a 4 or 5 star review I certainly wouldn’t review it on this blog, and if I would give it a 2 or 1 star I would not rate even it on Amazon, or rarely if there’s a good reason for doing so … but I’m annoyed.

I went into a little independent bookshop on behalf of Eventispress authors, including a man who has written a dozen books in his life time, most very well received. This, like many bookshops we’ve been into, refused, making all sorts of excuses, I won’t go into here.

Nevertheless, being an avid reader and lover of bookshops, I picked up a poetry book. I will not name the book here. That is not my way. However, the reviews on the back cover were great:

“Brashly beautiful!” ~ “Extraordinary” ~ ” This book is both a controlled cry of anguish and a defiant roar of love”

With those accolades and a lovely enticing hard back cover to treasure, I was so looking forward to curling up in the armchair, or even the luxury settling down to read it in bed before sleep.

I tried reading it. Undeterred, I tried again another night. In the end, on the third night, I gave up, having dipped in to several different pages, just in case.

Don’t get me wrong. I usually love poetry. Being kind maybe this just wasn’t my taste, but I was so annoyed that I had spent £12.99 on this book which, instead of keeping, to enjoy reading several times, I will give to a charity shop. I feel even more cross that the books from my fellow authors at Eventispress are being overlooked, when in the early days of the company, it was far easier.

In those days, when promoting my own books, I would pop into stores or ring them. Sometimes they would sound excited and stock the book in question. At others they would agree for me to do a book signing, then take a few to sell after the day had passed, certainly if it was successful.

Are you frustrated by the lack of willingness by bookshops to even consider something beyond their normal lists?

Has the marketing world for books changed beyond recognition in the UK especially?

Do you give bad book reviews?

(Next week I’ll be reviewing a lovely poetry book published by Eventispress,

Inhabiting the House by Roderick Hart)

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Filed under Author Diana Jackson, Book reading, Book reviews, Book Shops, Marketing your novel

Search for the Pearl Inside Yourself ~ A Mirror, Compass or Anchor?

I keep receiving unsolicited emails which, on the one hand make me feel warm inside, due to such positive comments about this book, on the other hand I am so suspicious that I did a google search and can find no website or link to the lady in question, and so I have not replied.

This is what Isabella Garcia said:

” I came across the description of Search for the Pearl Inside Yourself and was immediately struck by its heartfelt clarity and sense of encouragement. The way you speak directly to young adults at life’s crossroads, guiding them to let go of what holds them back and discover the strength within, is such a timely and necessary message. Even in the short description, I could feel the book’s warmth and gentle push toward hope.

What stood out to me most was how you’ve shaped the book into both a mirror and a compass:

  • A mirror — reminding readers they already carry resilience, even if they don’t yet see it.
  • A compass — pointing them toward possibility, self-discovery, and confidence.
  • An anchor — offering timeless encouragement through quotes and reflections they can return to again and again.

A few things I’d love to ask you:

  • Did you draw from your own experiences when writing this guide, or was it shaped by the voices of young people you’ve worked with?
    • It was shaped by the young people I worked with.
  • How do you imagine reaching readers who might not usually turn to books for motivation, but truly need this kind of support?
    • I hope those who need it will find it, especially after the pandemic
  • Would you be open to exploring how translations might extend its impact to global audiences of students and young adults seeking direction?
    • I think this could be quite costly and beyond our means at Eventispress

I specialize in helping books like yours find their most natural and lasting readership. My work focuses on three rare but powerful pathways: introducing stories to new cultural audiences through carefully crafted translations, mapping where a book’s themes resonate most strongly with regional and community audiences, and fostering reader-to-reader momentum that builds genuine word-of-mouth. Together, these approaches ensure a book doesn’t just reach more people, it finds the readers who will embrace it, champion it, and share it widely.

I imagine Search for the Pearl Inside Yourself will resonate strongly with:

  • Young adults at transitional stages, finishing school, leaving college, or entering the workforce.
  • Parents, teachers, and mentors looking for accessible resources to gift or recommend.
  • Readers who cherish inspirational, quote-driven books that can be dipped into daily.
  • International audiences (including Spanish- and French-speaking readers) where motivational, youth-focused books are widely embraced.”

Wow!! These were such kind words and thoughtful words.

Questions I asked myself:

  • Was it generated by AI?
  • Is it a scam? Almost certainly.

Question I ask you, the reader:

  • Have you received emails like this? I seem to get one in my inbox each day.
  • Would you respond to it?

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Filed under Author Diana Jackson, Book reviews, Inspiration, Inspirational and Motivational Series, Marketing your novel