An update...

Yes, we are still alive here at Odyssey Reviews, however... barely. Two of our most active reviewers are 'down for the count'--personal matters and family emergencies can do that to people. Odyssey needs reviewers! Badly. If you are interested please contact us using the info from the submission guidelines.

If you have submitted a query and haven't gotten a reply, sorry, but we are doing our best to follow-up. Right now, manpower is so limited, I am only accepting submissions from books that are strictly in our preferred genres, and that have stellar queries. If you have non-fiction, bios, or self-help books, you're not going to be accepted for review. I am just being honest. So if you are contemplating submitting your work for review to Odyssey Reviews, just a warning, we are being extremely selective. Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Supernatural/Horror books are preferred. Your query must be coherent, not too blibber-blabby, and decently written. Keep it simple.

The Management. ;)

InStock Conference Features Successful Self-Published Authors

The InStock Conference premieres July 18, 2009 in San Francisco and focuses on marketing and the business of self-publishing

SAN FRANCISCO, California - InStock, a one-day conference for authors and those interested in self-publishing, will premiere July 18, 2009 in San Francisco. The Instock Conference features panels on topics of interest to self-publishers, with a focus on marketing and the business of self-publishing books.

Speakers will include successful authors and self-publishers, independent publishers, and representatives from the traditional arm of the book industry. The panels and conversations will include information on marketing self-published books, finding an audience, publicity outreach and tactics, product pricing and more.

Speakers include Melinda Roberts, who runs the successful website The Mommy Blog and who has self-published the book Mommy Confidential: Adventures from the Wonderbelly of Motherhood. Ms. Roberts has been quoted in publications including The Washington Times, and recently appeared on Oprah. Also speaking is Deborrah Cooper, also known as “Ms. Heartbeat”, Editorial Director and Columnist for AskHeartBeat.com, who has self-published Sucka Free Love: How to Avoid Dating The Dumb, The Deceitful, The Dastardly, The Dysfunctional & The Deranged!

The “Getting The Word Out” panel features Micha Berman, author of Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship, which recently was the highest ranking book on Amazon for a title released through the popular self-publishing service Lulu.com; journalist Mark Curtis, who authored Age of Obama: A Reporter’s Journey with Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President 2008; and Patricia Volonakis Davis, Editor-in-Chief of harlotssauce.com, and author of Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece.

Panels will include "Do Judge A Book By Its Cover” which looks at the importance of design in book marketing; "Beyond The Sale" which discusses branding yourself; and "Successful Self-Publishers" which features authors who have effectively and successfully self-published.

A discount rate of $145 is available through June on the website. For further information about the conference schedule, sponsorship opportunities, or to register, please go to the website http://instockconference.com/.

CONTACT: Abuzz Productions
http://www.instockconference.com/
info@instockconference.com

R. Scot Johns‏; The "Saga of Beowulf"

I have now had this book FOREVER! And finally made it through all 600+ pages. Did it take me this long because it was slow or boring? Not at all! It took me that long because it was simply too big to fit in my purse.

Beowulf has long been one of my favorite stories of all time. In eighth grade we had to read the original poem in old English. Even though the language made me want to cry, I still loved the story. I have read and re-read various translations, and stylizations of the tale over the years. There is nothing more thrilling to me then following Beowulf and his men as they face the beast Grendel, then have to do battle with the Sea Witch and finally at the end of his life, to do battle with the Dragon. But in this book there is so much more to the story, so many little gaps filled in, more back story and so much more life to it.

This book, though huge and daunting to look at - is FANTASTIC. If you have ever wanted to read Beowulf, but hated the idea of ancient English verse - THIS is the book you need to read. Honest to the source material, and simple to read and comprehend without a translation key. Even if you love the tale in verse, you should still pick up a copy of this book and re-read it, the story and the character are given a whole new life. Beowulf becomes what we imagined he was between the lines of the old poem.

I have one complaint - and it should give you an idea of how much I love this book - The cover does not do it justice. This book should at least have a faux-leather cover, an epic tale like this deserves better then the 1980's Dungeons and Dragons looking cover it currently has. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

5 of 5 medallions.

Paperback: 640 pages
Publisher: Fantasy Castle Books (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982153805

Carl Wiley; "The Ring of Knowledge"

Prince Corwin, who is without his parents due to their untimely death by the hands of an evil man, is living in a far away kingdom ruled by his Uncle and Aunt. He learns that he is the rightful [heir] to the throne in the kingdom where he was born and decides that he must return there despite possible danger to his own life. Corwin embarks on the return journey accompanied by two young citizens from Plyorth who assist him in overcoming wild obstacles, including coming face-to-face with horrid creatures, faeries and his parents' killer.

The Ring of Knowledge adequately depicts the universal theme of good versus evil and affords young readers a chance to root for the underdog main character as he perseveres through many adversities in his quest to return to his kingdom of Plyorth. Unfortunately, readers may be quite unsettled by the similar nature this story has with the famous Harry Potter series. Specifically, both main characters have deceased parents who were killed by an evil character and both are on a quest to find a specific powerful object with their two friends (one male, one female) at their side through the adventure. Perhaps this was an honest coincidence not purposely intended to mimic the Harry Potter series and ride on it's successful coattails, but the strange similarities makes it hard to concentrate on the unique positive merits in the story.

I give this book 2.5 medallions.

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Eloquent Books (January 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606933604