Douglas R. Cobb

Douglas R. Cobb was born in Illinois and attended the University of Illinois, earning a BA in Rhetoric. Then, at Arizona State University, Douglas earned a Master’s in English, and at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, he earned a Master’s in Secondary Education. Little Rock is where he met his wife, Beth. He now lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas, which features prominently in his novel Lily and PAWS: The Ghosts of Summer, Book Two of his The Case Files of Lily and PAWS series. Book One is titled Lily, Unleashed. Douglas and Beth have a twenty-two-year old son, Ben (Dexter Quince in the series), and a seventeen-year-old daughter, Kaitlin (Celeste in the series). He has always had a love for writing, but was finally motivated to write Lily, Unleashed, by his daughter’s prompting him to write about her “dog,” Lily, who is featured on the covers of the series. Besides Douglas desiring his readers to have fun reading his novels (that’s the most important thing about reading any book), he also hopes he has created a heartwarming series that readers will fall in love with, as well as LOL at. Enjoy life, enjoy reading, write yourself, and believe in yourself: these are some of the things that Douglas believes are important for everyone! To learn more about the books Lily, Unleashed and Lily and PAWS: The Ghosts of Summer, please visit Douglas Cobb’s blog, “What’s New In Book Reviews,” Click Here

Lily, Unleashed presents a bold and stunning vision of an alternative world where animals run the show. Though aimed at kids, Douglas Cobb’s groundbreaking debut effort is sure to resonate with adults as well, telling its tale through the eyes of our furry friends who seem more human than most people. Cobb picks up where Richard Adams left off in his brilliant Watership Down, and the result is nothing short of a stellar storytelling with heart and soul.

Allen Hott

Part time freelance writer, part time management consultant, and full time (?) retired. Previously owned industrial distribution business in Georgia and now reside in Florida. Enjoy all sports but especially baseball and football. Read both fiction and non-fiction with emphasis on mysteries and historical fiction.

Elizabeth Sheehan

I’m a widow with 5 biological children (all grown), one adopted child and 4 step daughters. I attended some college. I read one to two (if I have time) a week. I’m interested in politics and am really into this election. I love my computer. I know that anything I could want to know about something is somewhere online.

Sam Millar

I love crime books. Not just writing them, but reading them.

Author of best-selling memoir, On The Brinks, rights for which have been acquired by Warner Brothers; and the critically acclaimed Karl Kane series of crime books.

Recipient of the prestigious Aisling Award for Art and Culture

Recipient of the Martin Healy Short Story Award

Recipient of the Brian Moore Award for Short Stories

Recipient of the Cork Literary Review Writer’s Competition

Prix De Littérature Policière, France’s most prestigious crime award, for The Redemption Factory.

Work performed by the BBC

Visit Sam Millar’s Website

Mary Z

I am a 59 year-old woman who can never remember a time when I was not surrounded by books. My favorites are histories, mysteries, and, biographies but I read everything! I live with a cat and dog who love to curl up with me and read over my shoulder while my bird chirps quietly in the background.

My degree was in biology with a minor in economics and I’m now trying to learn Spanish by translating a small book of critiques of poets Neruda, Vallejo, and Lorca. It is going slowly!

Julie M. Moderson

I love to read and books are my comfort fix. I have always enjoyed reading even as a child.

I live with my wonderful husband Paul and have been married almost 35 years and we still like each other. We have 4 grown children (3 boys and 1 girl) who live in 4 different states so we travel to visit out children and grandchildren. I have 5 grandkids (2 girls and 3 boys) I enjoy reading to the grandkids as much as I read to my own children. All my kids have the passion for reading as well and I pass my books on to them.

I am very involved in politics both local and Wisconsin and national politics. Sometimes I am too vocal on my opinions.

Please Note: Julie Moderson passed away on February 19, 2015. I will miss her reviews.

Diane Pollock

I have been an avid reader my whole life….so many books, such little time!

A jack of many trades, I’ve done a little bit of everything, from working as a staffer on a Presidential campaign to dealing in antique silver.

I live with my partner of seven years and we have cats on the porch and a box turtle in the summer (in the winter, lucky turtle gets to sleep!)

I hope you enjoy my reviews…

Russell Ilg

I am a book collector with over 3000 signed 1st and limiteds in my collection. I have written reviews for a number of authors i.e. stephen white, Jon Land, John Lescroart, Blake Crouch and many others and I enjoy attending mystery conventions each year. Books are my passion. I usually read 3-4 a week. I love to write reviews and am always honest and tell it like it is hoping to help someone to buy or in some cases not buy a book though that is very rare.

Jud Hanson

I was born in Raleigh, NC in 1970 and developed a love of reading at a very early age. I was lucky enough to be read to by my parents and grandparents almost on a daily se basis. I remember losing myself in a book on many a rainy and/or cold weekend as a kid (these were the days before the Internet and home video game systems). Throughout my life I have never been far from a book and have always carried one with me nearly everywhere I go, whether it is work, school, etc. I remember cutting my teeth on the classic authors such as C.S. Forester (Horatio Hornblower novels). As I got older, my interests began leaning toward authors such as Robert Ludlum, Stephen King and and Dean Koontz. In the years since college I have tended to steer away from the more graphic novels and prefer a healthy dose of suspense rather than a gory description of a murder scene. Currently, I have a wide range of reading interests, from “cozy” mystery authors such as Nevada Barr, legal thriller authors like Robert Tanenbaum, classic suspense filled novels by authors such as John Sanford and Faye Kellerman to action-adventure authors like Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul.

Jane Squires

I am 61 years old with 2 grown daughters who aren’t at home anymore My oldest gave me a grandson last Nov. who is now 1 year old. In Oct. I was given a granddaughter by the youngest daughter. I have two other step-grandchildren. . I review books already on The Celebrity Cafe, Amazon, Christianbook, etc. and like to post reviews everywhere I can. I like to review books and then use them for gifts and share them with others. I the reviews will help and encourage the author, etc. I have taught children for 44 years. I have been married 32 years to one and only one man. I love to sew, do crafts, and cook. I love trying new recipes and collecting cookbooks.

Chris Phillips

I am a veteran editor for friends and family as well as most of my employment positions. I make books out of my friends’ writing as well as help them to smooth out what they say, how they say it and hopefully get the best expressions. I have been doing this for 20+ years. I often find myself reading a book and correcting problems I see even after the works have been published from big name publishers. I enjoy writing to the authors of books when possible and discussing problems I’ve seen in the reading of their work. But then there is always the chance for great intelligent conversation whenever creative minds get together. I follow the guidelines given to me but do most of this just because I know what is wrong or should be corrected.

Vickie Dailey

I am currently working two jobs. In my free time I like to read mystery books. One of my favorite authors is Elizabeth George. Being a reviewer for Bestsellersworld has been alot of fun both reading and writing the reviews.

Teri Davis

Books and music, music and books, that is who I am. Besides Best Sellers’ World, I also review local musical events for our local newspaper and truly enjoy jazz and the blues. I am possibly going to retire from being an elementary teacher this spring and spend more of my time as an organist/church musician and being a grandma.

After raising four boys and three dogs, I am happily enjoying an empty nest. (Dogs are much easier to raise than boys.) One son is considering returning to the nest and I am not thrilled about this but his father is delighted. He knows that it must be very temporary and we are currently defining that term. We just became grandparents for the second and third time with twins being born on December 20th, a boy and a girl. The little girl, unfortunately, looks like my clone, complete with the red-hair and super-white skin. (I expect freckles by summer.)

I read all the time with no preference for genres. I don’t enjoy predictable stories so I tend to shy away from romance.

Cy Hilterman

I am a 77 year “young” avid reader. I love most all popular fiction books, except some of the romance type. I also read all the historical fiction and non-fiction books I can get that look interesting. When in my working career, I worked so much with computers and other work that involved reading that my eyes were too tired to read when I got home. Since retirement, I have more than made up for it. (Please note: Cy Hilterman has passed away. I will miss his reviews.)

Gina Metz

I am in my late 40’s and addicted to books. I live in the middle of nowhere in a small town in West Virginia. The book addiction is a good thing though since we are pretty isolated here with not much for entertainment, unless you want to drive 50 miles each way, so it gives me something to do. My main love is mysteries and I do read some horror and fantasy also. I am lucky to have a Mom who lives in Kansas City to whom I send lists of books I want and she goes shopping at the used book stores to pick up many of them for me. Which is really good as I believe, at this point, I have a better collection of books if not a larger collection also than our town’s library. I have many friends in town that regularly borrow from my library also rather than the town one.

Patricia Reid

I am currently an office manager for two plants in the Midwest that process product to be used in dog and cat food but I am looking forward to retirement in 2012. I previously managed a law office for a number of years. I have always enjoyed reading. My two daughters and my granddaughter are all avid readers although the four of us do not have the same taste in books. I prefer reading mysteries and suspense.

When a friend asked me to review some books, I was hesitant but found that I really enjoyed reviewing and have been writing book reviews since 2003. My list of favorite authors has grown considerably since I started reviewing. My list of people I consider friends that I have met through book reviewing has also grown considerably. (Please note: Patricia Reid has passed away. I will miss her reviews).

Woodstock

Woodstock is the on line nickname and penname of a retired tax accountant who lives in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado.

Woodstock is a lifelong voracious reader whose reading choices come first from mystery and suspense fiction, then current events, biography, and history.

The darker side of the mystery/suspense genre is always her first choice, but she enjoys a good story told in any genre.

Joanne Reynolds

Have always been a reader, ever since I have had the ability to enjoy escaping into a good book.

I am a Classified Account Executive with our local newspapers and am a wife, mother of three and grandmother of 2. Enjoy movies, TV, NASCAR, etc.

Nancy Oakes

I’m a mom, wife, dog owner and avid reader, as well as a transplanted native Californian currently living in Florida. I’ve been an active reader since the age of five, and I maintain a blog for journaling about books at 2010theyearinbooks.com I read a variety of different genres, but I especially like translated fiction and crime fiction.

Shelly Stetsko

I am an avid reader and especially love Non-fiction books about people’s travels and experiences in other countries. I live in British Columbia with my husband and three young sons who keep me busy and we have lots of fun camping, hiking, and kayaking.

Julie Siemek

LOVE to read an average of 25 books/year/300 pages long average. A small business owner with 4 grown children, 5 grandsons, and 1 husband. LOVE mysteries and discovering new authors.

Adele Symonds

I am a hopeful writer myself studying a writing course, I am an avid reader of a wide range of genres in book and ebook format. I am only at the beginning of my journey but I have submitted 3 reviews to Newbooks mag so far, 2 are already up on the website if you would like to take a look at the standard of my reviews. The first book I reviewed for them is also in issue 68 of their magazine. I review every book I read now and have started putting them on my new blog. I am a disabled single mum and would be interested in reviewing more books.

Rich Stoehr

Douglas Adams (or, to be literal, his hitchhiking character Arthur Dent) once said: “No, I’m very ordinary…but some very strange things have happened to me. You could say I’m more differed from than differing.” As a description of who I am and what I do, this works pretty well for me. I’ve always felt I’m surrounded by the extraordinary in the world – be that people or art or literature or just…the world itself. In comparison, I often feel rather ordinary.

A few ordinary adjectives about me: Tall, clumsy, geeky, smart, creative, adaptive. “The epitome of random,” as an old friend once said. Along with the written word, I love video games and good movies (sometimes bad movies too). If a movie was ever made of my life, I hope that Aaron Eckhart would be cool with playing me. If not, Chevy Chase might fit the bill better anyway.

A few of the extraordinary things in my life: three beautiful and talented daughters, a day job that has somehow transformed over the years into being perfect for me, a gorgeous, funny, and weird fiancee, and an ever-growing book collection (seriously, sometimes I don’t even know where they come from).

I read anything that strikes my fancy. I grew up on fantasy, science fiction, and things that go bump into the night. The first “adult” novel I can remember reading is Stephen King’s ‘The Shining,’ which is still a favorite. Since then I’ve gotten into Jane Austen, Isaac Asimov, Jose Saramago, John Green, Melanie Rawn, H.P. Lovecraft, Joe Hill, Maureen Johnson, Dan Simmons, a brief fling with Laurell K. Hamilton, and what’s sure to be a lifelong relationship with Neil Gaiman, just to name a few.

I’m honest, and I’m rarely afraid to speak my mind. I’m generous with my praise and I try to be constructive in my criticism. And I do love to entertain.

Today, I’m happy to be alive, happy to be busy, and happy to be doing what I love with people who I live to be around. In an ocean of experience, and in the words of John Green, I’m “grateful to be a little boat, full of water, still floating.”

Kemin McCutchen

Kemin McCutchen has a degree in English with a concentration in literary criticism. She has worked as a literary editor, writing coach, and college English instructor for 20 years. She is an avid reader, reading up to five books a week. She loves reading new authors and old authors writing new things, and loves finding those hidden literary treasures that are hiding behind some plain book cover.

Raymond Mathiesen

I have a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in literature. In that degree, I obtained minors in psychology, modern history, and economics. I also have a Graduate Diploma in Library Science in which my studies included management and communications. I have lived in three cities (Townsville, Brisbane & Armidale) in two different states (Queensland & New South Wales) in Australia. I have never traveled overseas but would like to visit the United Kingdom though I doubt I will ever get there.

Cathleen Summers

Full time mom to 13 children, all are homeschooled and are avid readers. I have done reviews for GooodReads and am currently working on several reviews for Reader Views. I enjoy reading as a fulltime hobby and have a library at home with well over 3,000 books. I look for reviews when selecting a book to buy or even loaning from the library, so I put every effort into writing a review that will help another individual in making a book choice, whether it is to buy or just for a quick trip to the library. We as a family have also reviewed children’s books and enjoy hearing my kids opinion on the books they have read.

Margitte Meyer

I studied at the University of Pretoria, majored in Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology; worked as a librarian in the Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria; did research in various community development programs(profiling the socio-economics of communities); compiled programs for broadcasting (television and radio), about communities, acting as production manager; write a guest column for the Eastern Cape Burger newspaper.

Dianne Woodman

Dianne fell passionately in love with reading at an early age. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and she homeschooled her four adult children, who are avid readers, from kindergarten through high school. Music is also an important part of her life. She performed in a church musical in Europe and co-directed a children’s choir.

Dianne’s love of reading led to a desire to review books and write stories. She pursued this endeavor and has written book reviews for all ages and multiple genres for many years. She is currently working on contemporary and mystery stories for middle schoolers, high school students, and adults. She also plans to write a biography about her mother.

In Dianne’s spare time, she enjoys zoom sessions with her adult children, singing, latch hooking, spending time with her animals, going on hikes, and exploring the United States with her husband in their motorhome.

Danita Dyess

Danita Dyess got her first “real” job in 1992 when she worked at Creative Services Inc., an advertising agency in Atlanta, GA. During that time, she also read her first novel and received her first dog-eared “Associated Press Style Manual.” In 2005, she volunteered as an online course developer for the National Council for Support of Disability Issues and an English instructor for the Burma Students’ Association. As a freelance writer, she has written over 1,000 articles, book reviews, blog posts, interviews, and profiles. Her work appears at Examiner.com, Outimpact.com, SZ Magazine, Readers’ Favorite, and the Houston Chronicle.

Book Bug

My name is Ashley. I just turned 33 years old. I’m married to my husband of almost 5 years. We have five cats. No children yet, but we hope to in the future. I live in Kentucky, but was born & raised in Arkansas. I LOVE to read and have a very expansive home book collection. =)I also like to shop, play video and board games, & swim.

Lisa Brown-Gilbert

Aside from being an avid reader, I am an avid book reviewer. I love sharing my experiences and opinions when it comes to a book I have read. I have a great deal of experience as a book reviewer. My reviews can be found on several retail sites especially Amazon, as well as other online book review companies. I am committed to giving honest, timely interesting book reviews that have substance to them, not fluff. My reviews can be found under my pen names as well, Mochalove or Mrs.bookfreak.

Inishowen Cailín

I am 34, I have a BA From the Queen’s University of Belfast, a Masters’s Degree in History and Politics and for the past ten years I have been working in the field of education. I enjoy reading a broad range of genres and discussing them. Ireland is home and Italy is my favourite holiday destination. I like living beside the sea and I don’t like big cities. I have recently started my own blog and it is a work in progress.

Please Pass the Books

I’m a top reviewer for both Readers’ Favorite and Net Galley. I have a strong following on my book review blog, and am a regular Goodreads and Amazon reviewer. I am American who currently resides in London, England.

Suzanne Odom

I am a 46 year old academic librarian looking to start writing for publication. I’ve read several articles and blogs and many have suggested writing book reviews as a great place to start. I love to read and have been an avid reader since I was 5 years old, devouring any book I could get my hands on. I have my favorite authors, Mary Higgins Clark, Heather Graham, Wendi Corsi Staub, and James Patterson, but am open to all genres and all authors. I am married and we have one child, a boy, who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He’s opened my eyes to learning about other medical disorders besides ASD. I also have 2 cats and would love more.

Laurie Weatherlow

Avid reader for 30 years. Usually 100 books per year. I belong to 2 book clubs that meet monthly. I worked for an independent book store for three years. Sadly it has closed recently. I also wrote reviews for a small town newspaper I worked for. I currently write reviews for Netgalley and Penguins First to Read. I also belong to many social media’s.I love to read and am passionate about writing reviews and sharing books with others.

Mark Moderson

My name is Mark Moderson, I’m 38 years old and live in Oshkosh WI. I’m a husband to Hannah and a father of three Lily (10), Tyler (9) and Mya (2). I love spending time with my family, coaching youth sports and reading in my free time

Ed Kelly

Ed is from Boston, and has a checkered past: a high school dropout, he went on to earn his doctorate (Ed.D.,) from Boston Univ; he also has been a bartender, security guard, wallpaper salesman, and a teacher at the jr., high school, community college, undergraduate, and graduate level. An avid mystery reader, he thinks oftentimes a good mystery tells more about a society than the crime itself. Even though he reads all types of fictions, he especially likes character-driven plots and historical mysteries.

Timea Barabas

I am a PhD student at the department of Sociology, with a background in psychology, and a full-time reader. As a researcher, I explore the human condition in oppressive regimes, with a focus on agency and self-expression. When it comes to literature (and movies), above all, I am drawn to dystopias or anything that concerns the human nature, especially under restrictive and challenging conditions. To balance things out, the playfulness of art is also something that equally impresses me. I believe that the most important thing with a book (or art in general) is to move, to provoke an emotional and/or intellectual reaction (a masterpiece does both). Most importantly, I am always looking for an immersive experience, to be part of the world penned out by the author.

Lily Andrews

My name is Lily and I have always loved reading fictional and non-fictional stories since I was young. Reading has always been a way to pass time for me and I have realized over the years that each book has something to learn from. My favorite genre is fictional stories but I can read pretty much every genre. Any leisure time I get, reading a good book will do for me!

Daniel Ryan Johnson

My whole story is far too complex to fit into a short bio, but I will do my best to hit upon some of the highlights. Born in Tacoma, Washington in 1987, I had a relatively “normal” childhood. Grew up in a “bad” neighborhood, that became a “good” neighborhood by the time I left home for college. Didn’t travel much as a kid aside from a train trip down to Disneyland when I was 8 and a solo trip to Chicago for the National Student Leadership Conference for the Arts when I was 17. At 18 I moved across the country via train to Boston with my then girlfriend. At 19 we took that same train to move back to Washington. Attended a total of four colleges but still managed to get my Bachelor’s Degree in the standard 4 years. Took a three week trip to Europe when I was 21 that ended up leaving a big mark. Have worked in over 20 different jobs, sometimes working as many as 4 jobs at one time to save up to travel. In 2016 I self-published my first book on Amazon. A couple of months later I took off on what was supposed to be a trip around the world. Almost 4 years later I still haven’t made in past my starting continent of Europe. In 2018 I bought a hostel in Bucharest, Romania that I had volunteered at earlier in the year when I heard that the owner was looking to sell. I turned a failing business into a successful one, that is, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to close the doors forever. Now I am living with my girlfriend and our two cats in Bucharest, and looking for a job so that I can get my residency permit extended in December. Meanwhile, I am working on my second novel, hoping to go the traditional publishing route with this one, and making whatever money I can with other small writing jobs, and reading all the books that my girlfriend owns in English.

Carol Smith

I was born Carol Christina Smith in Grass Valley, CA in 1948. This small historical gold mining town is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. My maternal grandfather, Sylvester Nugent, worked in the Empire Mine in the early 1930’s and 40’s when gold was still bursting.

As a young girl, I romped through the woods with my two brothers. We enjoyed play on a fallen tree which we named the “monkey tree”. The woods created the setting for my children’s fiction “Tales of Wonder Woods”. A deep love and appreciation for the wonder and beauty of nature began to grow deep in my spirit.

In 2005, my five-year old grandson Val, was in my care. He enjoyed listening to a story about an adventure in the woods with a talking tree and other fantasies. He was so enthralled with the story, he would add his own ideas.

In 2009, I began to write “Tales of Wonder Woods”. The book was completed in 2019. Now that I am retired, I am writing another children’s fiction based upon historical facts involving a family living during the Antelebum period and the Civil War.

I feel strongly that my book is good reading for kids in this particular era of time. So many families are separated, and this story offers hope. This story wraps knowledge and education into the real world and the fantasy world. It teaches family values, friendship, knowledge, and so much more.

Rahul Gaur

I am an avid book reader and experienced professional journalist and content editor with nearly 10 years of experience in the tech, science, and health niches. I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the book review scene as a freelance reviewer and a manager leading a team of writers, designers, and SEO experts. My specialty is in news, editorials, and opinion pieces.