What Is a Good Book with Author Brandelyn N. Castine

This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about "good" books--particularly their definitions of a good book and how their latest releases constitute that good book. Our last guest for January, Brandelyn N. Castine, is a poet and author whose latest book, U.G.L.Y. looks into the life of a beautiful, talented young woman who finds her identity solely linked to her weight.








Meet Blair Hughes, a beautiful, intelligent and talented young woman who believes her identity is defined by her size 22 waistline. With constant scrutiny about her weight and a pattern of failed diets, Blair has given up trying be the perfect size six and has allowed herself to fade into the background.

Blair’s unforeseen romance with Salim Martin, a talented young writer begins to chip away at her insecurity and forces her to look at herself differently. As Salim works overtime to show her how beautiful she truly is, his best efforts are not strong enough to keep Blair from waiting for the other shoe to drop.

When an unexpected betrayal rocks her world, Blair flees from her friends and family to get a fresh start in the unpredictable streets of New York City. However this new life forces Blair to deal with a lot more than she bargained for.

Suddenly forced to recreate her personal definition, Blair travels through a series of right and wrong turns, chance encounters and unimaginable situations that ultimately lead her to a place where she is able to look past the physical and discover what it truly means to be U.G.L.Y.


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now to read Brandelyn's thoughts on the "good" book and see why her latest work might be that "good" book. Also, Brandelyn shares an excerpt from U.G.L.Y.. Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

What Is a Good Book with Author Ellen Meister

This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about "good" books--particularly their definitions of a good book and how their latest releases constitute that good book.

riveting. intriguing. stimulating. original. gripping. provocative. unique. emotional powerhouse.

These are just a few of the adjectives that describe the upcoming release, The Other Life by AtBaP's next author, Ellen Meister!










What if you could return to the road not taken?

Quinn Braverman never told her loving husband, Lewis, that the real reason she chose him over her neurotic, semi-famous ex-boyfriend, was to show her mother that she could have a happy, stable relationship with the guy next door.

But she has an even darker secret: Quinn knows another life exists in which she made the other choice and stayed with her ex-boyfriend. The two lives run in parallel lines, and there, on the other side, the Quinn who never married is speeding through her high-drama life in Manhattan. Here, she lives in the suburbs, drives a Volvo, and has an adorable young son with another baby on the way.

So far she’s played it safe, never venturing over to the other side. Then a shocking turn of events rattles Quinn, and she makes the reckless choice to finally see what she’s been missing.

There, she not only rediscovers her exciting single life, but meets the one person she thought she’d lost forever. Her mother.

But Quinn can’t have both lives. Soon, she must decide which she really wants—the one she has…or the other life?


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now to read Ellen's thoughts on the "good" book and see what she hopes readers will feel about her own work. Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

What Is a Good Book with Author Anthony Anderson

This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about "good" books--particularly their definitions of a good book and how their latest releases constitute that good book. AtBaP's next author is a writer I met a while back on MySpace and have been thrilled to see him finally put the touches on his debut novel, The Vile, Sinister, and Most Utterly Diabolical Account of Latrina Emerson: Anthony Anderson!






What would Latrina Emerson, unassuming librarian and church organist, have in common with an agnostic physicist and a bunch of occultists over 2000 miles away? Absolutely nothing if she could help it. Some not-so-benevolent "Forces of Light", alas, won’t let her help it. She’s part of their plan save their credibility after some recent embarrassments (Y2K failing to end the world on prophetic schedule, increasing distrust of authority, etc) and shut up those smart alecks in the Forces of Darkness. But the Forces of Darkness have never followed the Light's rules—like the ones that say they have to be totally evil or always lose in the end—and they're not about to start now. A faction of Hell, in fact, has decided that despite religious and philosophical differences, Latrina is too decent a person to be martyred "for the greater good". Warning her, however, gets a bit tricky. And the real wild card may be Latrina herself, who may not be as “manageable” as the Powers-That-Only-Think-They-Be would like.


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now to read Anthony's pretty insightful thoughts on what makes a "good" book. I think a lot of people will agree with him. Also, there's a great excerpt of his debut novel, too! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

What Is a Good Book with Author Miki Starr Martin

This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about "good" books--particularly their definitions of a good book and how their latest releases constitute that good book. AtBaP's next author is so creative in the projects she tackles. One of her latest books is a great piece of metafiction, and yours truly appears in the story, too! I'm talking about Miki Starr Martin, author of two new novels, the metafiction Psycho and Olivia!












Dr. Nicollet Madison Fairway is a fictional psychotherapist straight out the mind of authoress Miki Starr Martin. Problem is - she doesn’t realize it. In a loft located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Dr. Fairway has created a very lucrative business counseling fictitious characters through a celebrated system that has been dubbed, The Fairway Method and has been greatly successful in her treatment of many very notable fictitious characters. From Eric Jerome Dickey’s Arizona, to the late Alex Haley’s Ruthana, with many other authors’ characters in between.

Now, Dr. Fairway has decided to take on a new adventure in her practice by serving a group of characters all from a single mind. In this case, it is her very own creator, Miki Starr. Unfortunately this is a much greater undertaking than the good doctor could have ever suspected. Between the troubles with her own relatives, a family filled with arrogant, self-serving doctors, her bickering clients, and her quest for true love - Dr. Fairway is doing all that she can to hold on to her sanity while trying to help her clients find a piece of their own.







For decades, the children of the planet Marieux were told tales of the birth of a savior that would free their world from the clutches of the heartless organization that controlled it for years. Military rule, unjust laws, and recruitment of women for the purpose of serving the needs of their oppressor, exemplified the society into which they were born. But with each passing year, as civilization was further plunged into the depths of despair, it became even less conceivable that the prophecy of the Anointed Daughter of the Marinites was true.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Kalaath, has heard this story since childhood and rejected it for just as long, despite at times being accused of being this prophecy come reality. After all, she has the golden skin tone and the extraordinary instincts synonymous with the mythical figure. Either way, being different has its price. In order to keep herself and her mother below the Shadow Realm Allegiance’s radar, she practices the age-old art of concealing, a survival technique she learned as a child. But when her best friend goes missing, Olivia must decide what she believes in once and for all.


You don't want to miss this feature! Miki Starr offers insightful responses to our monthly questions regarding "good" books and on top of that gives us two juicy excerpts to her novels! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!