How Do You Choose A Book?

  

While visiting an indie book store in Minneapolis, one with a cafe and wide aisles for patrons to browse with their dogs, I walked across thousands of books with no particular intention but to find a book that would speak to me. Which book would stick out to get my attention — and which one could survive my evaluation?

Shopping in a bookstore is like the dating scene, where one’s looks or a book’s appearance can draw you in —but it is the words conveyed that dictate if there is a match.

A book holds great promise for you, the reader.  It offers something in its existence, perhaps to entertain or enlighten, or to inform or inspire. Some books can even change lives.

Sure, we judge whether to buy a book based on a checklist of surface items, such as the:

·         What genre it is in

·         How long it is

·         What the price is

·         The book’s format.

·         Book Cover

·         Title and sub-title

·         Packaging/Layout/Feel/Smell

·         Who blurbed or reviewed it

 

Sometimes we buy because a friend recommended it or a savvy store clerk whispers about it.

We also look to see who the author is, what that person looks like, and if they are connected to anything or anyone whom we feel a fondness for.

I usually randomly flip through a book to see if I can find a few things that grab me or that I agree with. If it doesn’t feel right, back it goes to the shelf, to remain an orphan until someone else, with different tastes and needs comes along and embraces it.

Many times I browse the sections of the bookstore where my reading interests lay, such as Books About Books, Business, Self-Help, Philosophy, and Psychology. Most books are facing spine out so I crane my neck to read them. I don’t always make it to the bottom shelf unless I plop down on the floor to investigate.

Sometimes just looking at books — without buying one — is fulfilling. You got to date so many subjects, lives, and events but didn’t get married to anything. It is usually more satisfying to take home a book or two to add to the pile of unread books, but just the act of catching snippets of other books that I will never get to read in full provides me a feeling of accomplishment.

I ended up making a purchase after evaluating it over a cappuccino. It was a book I remember skimming in a bookstore previously. I am not sure why I did not buy it the first time around, but I was glad I plunked down 30 bucks this time. It was one of the best books I had ever read on the art of persuasion.

The psychology of how we buy anything has been studied for a long time. Many factors go into what drives the purchase of anything. But when it comes to books I know that not all purchases are predictable or practical. The human impulses to know, to own, or to seek can lead us on a surprising book journey.

Go to the bookstore and see what you take home. 

 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.4 million pageviews. With 5,300+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

Interview With Two-Time Cancer Survivor Who Pens Award-Winning Historical Novel Trilogy

 

Interview With Jane Rubin On The New Release Of Over There

 

1.         Over There is your newest book. What is it about? Over There, the third installment of the Gilded City trilogy, immerses readers in the gripping journey of four family members from Threadbare and In The Hands of Women all dedicated doctors and nurses facing the daunting realities of The Great War. The narrative unfolds across three distinct stages, transporting readers from New York City into the terrifying nightmare of trench warfare, showcasing the magnificent rise of the American Hospital in Paris, while highlighting groundbreaking medical innovations fueled by the unwavering commitment of healthcare workers, and finally, those left home in a state of constant worry. This powerful book addresses war’s often-overlooked, profound impact on children, evoking a deep sense of empathy and prompting critical reflection on the cost of war. 

2.         It is your third historical novel in a trilogy. What draws you to the subject matter? War is both a daunting and exciting challenge for a writer. The key for me was to ensure the setting was accurate, reflecting the realities of the war while bringing forward into the center stage the characters and their emotions. My adored Isaacson family loved their adopted country so much that three fought as soldiers (Jake, Martin, and Julian), and three served to care for the wounded (Ben, Eli, and Miriam). Their service and sacrifice reflected how many new immigrants felt about America. Some served as a means to fast-track their citizenship, while others saw their new home as a uniquely safe place worth protecting. It is interesting to note that twenty Jewish soldiers earned the Medal of Honor. 

3.         What were the first two award-winning books in the series about, leading up to your newest one? Threadbare is the fictional immigrant story of my great-grandmother, Tillie. Although the novel includes a few facts I could gather, her character embodies many immigrants’ determination and grit. It also focuses on some of the significant issues of the time: disease, poor medical care, discrimination, and misogyny. 

In The Hands of Women centers around Hannah, Tillie’s younger sister, one of the first female obstetricians in New York City. The novel is set in Baltimore and New York City in 1900 when birth control and abortion were both illegal. Hannah, a devoted women’s advocate and suffragist is determined to make a difference and joins Margaret Sanger in her crusade to overturn the restrictive Comstock Laws prohibiting birth control. After coming to the aid of a woman dying from a botched abortion, Hannah is charged with murder and sent to the terrifying Blackwell’s Prison to await her trial. With the support of influential friends, including the female trustees of Johns Hopkins Medical School, she challenges the Governor of New York with a novel proposition. 

4.         Your books have been meticulously researched. Tell us how you went about achieving historical accuracy in your books. Before beginning the writing process, I spend two to four months researching the period’s geographic location, political and social climate, state of healthcare, and so forth. Once the opening scene comes to me, I begin drafting the novel. However, I constantly research the details as I write—from common expressions to clothing, music, tools, and inventions.  

5.         Your trilogy takes us to the time of the Great War over a century ago. What was lifelike back then? In many ways, it was the beginning of the modern era in New York. Women were on the cusp of the vote, women’s fashions were evolving, becoming more comfortable and sensible, and many innovations such as cars, indoor plumbing, furnaces, electricity, and telephones were part of the American fabric. Although modern medicine, as we know it today, was still in its infancy, the war fueled significant advancements in anesthesia, antiseptics, and surgery. For the first time, X-rays and blood transfusions were administered close to the battlefield. In 1914, when the war began, ambulances were horse-drawn. By the end of the war, they were all motorized.  

6.         How do you write about war’s frightening impact on children? As naturally imaginative beings, children can stoke their fears with little real information. Emotional reactions are broad and often age-based. The children in my novel lived in New York City, away from the fighting, but they knew the dangers their fathers faced were real. My main character, Albert, was an adolescent, and like his peers, he became increasingly physical and challenging.  

7.         The jarring reality of trench warfare comes to life in your books. What do you want to portray about it? This element of the book posed a challenge for me as I didn’t want to repel my audience with the extensive violence and turn them away from the novel. By focusing on the medical aftermath of the battles and the reaction of the doctors and nurses, I was able to indirectly take my readers into the soldiers’ worlds, fears, and physical devastation. I can only imagine how terrified the soldiers were.  

8.         You had a successful three-decade career as a healthcare executive. Is this why your books write of the unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication of healthcare workers? I have had a lifelong fascination with medical discoveries and innovation, beginning in my elementary school library, where I read every medical biography that I could lay my hands on - Madam Curie, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Alexander Fleming, and so forth. As a healthcare executive, I was passionate about introducing new physicians to the medical staff who brought more advanced, less invasive surgical skills and procured the equipment and training needed to elevate patient care.  

9.         What social lessons are shared in your trilogy, such as women’s rights or immigration? The most general and essential is the repetitive nature of social and political mistakes. In the first book, Threadbare, the protagonist, Tillie, invents a unique garment product and is practically squelched by misogynist men who try to steal her idea. The root issue is their disregard for women. In The Hands of Women explores the deep and often fatal price women paid when they lost control over family planning. Over There poses the question of whether the benefits of war outweigh the costs and the critical role battlefield nurses played.  

10.       How do your books reveal the cost of war? The most significant cost is always human – families destroyed, life potential ended. 17 million soldiers died in WW1. To further amplify the losses, the returning soldiers became vectors of the worldwide spread of Spanish Flu, claiming an additional 20 million lives. Ironically, many soldiers responding to a call for arms had no clue what they were fighting for. Many if not most, historians view the Great War as pointless, as it left behind severe economic challenges across the globe, setting the stage for WW2.  

11.       Why do you describe lower Manhattan at the dawn of the 20th century as poor, filthy, and combusting with talent and pent-up ambition? As a historical novelist, it is critical that I set my characters in an accurate world. From the Hudson River to the East River, in Lower Manhattan, people struggled with overcrowding, poverty, and disease. But many of our industrialists, inventors, entertainers, and scholars came from that world. The two generations of assimilated immigrants who fertilized that explosion of American assets are the fodder for my books.  

12.       Are you surprised at your books’ praise from best-selling authors. Kirkus Reviews and the Historical Novel Society? As a relatively new entrant to the historical fiction world, I am both pleased and humbled.  

13.       What, if anything, has been the greatest challenge for you in writing these books? Time—there never seems to be enough of it. I am a very organized writer, but historical fiction is never straight writing. Not only is there constant stopping and restarting to research, but plot and character ideas are not linear for me. As a panzer by nature, I prefer to have the ideas flow organically, and every once in a while, I need to shake things loose with a brisk two-mile walk or hot shower.  

14.       Your first book was your memoir, detailing, in part, how you are a two-time cancer survivor. Do you have any advice for those diagnosed with a life-threatening disease? My guiding principles and what I diligently practice are the following:  

•           Live every day to the fullest with a healthy dose of hope and humor.

•           Engage in the activities that make you happy.

•           Don’t put off your bucket list.

•           Stay away from negative people.

•           Treasure your family.  

After I complete my fourth book (which will take my Isaacson family into the birth of the Borscht Belt in the Catskills—yes, bootleggers and the Ku Klux Klan), I hope to write a second memoir that shares what I’ve learned in my sixteen years of survivorship.  

15.       How has your medical fight shaped your writing? My cancer diagnosis drove me to write. I had always wanted to put pen to paper but was blinded by my responsibilities and the need to make practical choices. It was the diagnosis of a deadly, incurable cancer that made me realize how short life could be and the importance of using my time in ways that felt important to my heart. 

For more information, please see: www.janeloerubin.com.

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

Interview With Author Luke Martin Wahlberg

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

When I was deciding what I wanted to go to college for, I toyed with the idea of getting

into game design. I liked taking inspiration from stories I loved from my childhood (many

coming from Japanese anime) and the worlds from the games that I distracted myself

with (primarily RPG and adventure style) to create immersive stories. It was a form of

therapy for me; and, when I got far enough, I realized that there might actually be

somebody else out there that might take joy from it as well.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?

The Branded series follows humanity after we’ve wrecked Earth and left to find a new

home on a distant planet called Enrea. This comes with the discovery of native

intelligent species, tangible gods, and bizarre environmental conditions. The first book

follows a young mechanic named Nate Peterson, who, in a twist of expectations,

discovers his connection to one of the gods mentioned before. Not a common issue, yet

not unheard of on this planet, he is offered the chance to serve them through his

blessing. His training, interactions, and comrades carry the story through into the reveal

of the true plot, which makes this already expansive world seem much larger and leaves

the gods grasping at straws. As the series progresses, the plot becomes a complex web

of scientific and divine discovery, and more characters become intertwined with a rapidly

changing goal and a global effort. As for who this is for, I would hope that anyone looking for a high-fantasy epic would enjoy it. To that point, this is marketed largely toward the YA market, as the erotic scenes and descriptive and traumatic violence put it slightly beyond the teenage market. Taking inspiration from where I have, anyone that gets overly involved in the kinds of

games and anime I’ve invested years of my life in should find something to grab onto. I

want anyone that reads it to find characters they identify with and can insert themselves

as they see fit. Nate is not a typical insert-character, in that he is a bumbling moron and,

in my eyes, not that interesting compared to the others, but he’s there to hold the story

together.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

I hope people get a good escape from it. With as long as it is (planned for seven books

in the series with five complete and approaching the million-word mark), I wanted to

create a world for the readers to lose themselves in. From the trials each god offers to

their servants, the vastly different regions the party wanders through, the different

intelligent races, and the implications of a magic-infused society with technology similar

to our current state but no modern weaponry, I want them to experience a unique world

and latch onto the characters. Every character I’ve created is meant to be memorable,

and I try to stand at the edge of absurdity for some so they can be even more enjoyable.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

The series title, Branded, comes from the power system. Each of the sixteen god-like

beings, known as Eidolons, offer special simulated trials within their own realms to

determine if their applicants are worthy of their blessings. This blessing manifests in the

form of a branding on their backs, forming a 4x4 grid. These brandings offer them

access to the power of the Eidolon in question, which equates to elemental power,

boosted capacities, or the ability to physically manifest them for those magically

inclined. The subtitle, Kindling, comes from Nate’s connection to the god of fire of this world.

Being incapable of controlling his powers once they are realized and being treated as a

means to initiate the connection, he is literally kindling for the fires that are offered.

As for the cover, I outsourced it to an artist while going through publication. I wanted

Nate (the one on the cover) to be relatively non-descript, and for the branding of the

Eidolon he was chosen by to be on his right shoulder at the center of the cover. The

flaming, wolf-like eyes on the right represent the Eidolon he is attached to. The branding

itself is a conglomeration three runic symbols: wolf, god, and flame. On the back, there

is an unconventional-looking sword across the bottom margin, which is a depiction of

the weapon used by his tutor, Dran. It is called the Zanbatousai, which is an allusion to

an ancient weapon from Japanese warfare and the anime Rurouni Kenshin. It’s

important to the plot…and its use is often met with comic disbelief.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

I’ve had a lot of people tell me that they’ve wanted to write but never went through with

it, to which I’ve told them to just try. It’s not for everyone, but it can’t hurt to try. That’s

what did it for me; I figured I’d throw it out there, and I got called back two weeks later to

ask if I would approve going to an editing board. If this is about those that I hope to share the shelves with…well, I don’t want them to run. I need to escape my own worlds sometimes, too.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book

publishing industry is heading? 

Seeing what has been popular, I have to hide my face from the stream of poorly-written

pseudo-smut paraded as “fantasy.” I want to find characters and plots that I can

immerse myself in…and those aren’t it. Authors that mass produce that drivel have

made millions and are given TV and movie deals…but I rarely see the same love being

given to Hugo and Booker award winners, who inspire imagination and wonder with

each line. The world would be a better, more imaginative place if N.K. Jemisin and

George Saunders were given the attention that E.L. James, Coleen Hoover, and

Rebeccah Yarros get.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when

writing this book? 

The biggest underlying theme of the series is the shift into young adulthood and the

process of growing into the world around you. We think that those above us are

unassailable, but it’s the lack of experience and exposure that makes us feel that way.

Every character grows as the plot continues to expand, and fears and convictions have

to be faced as they become more comfortable with themselves as people. The trials

(which become prevalent in the second book) force the characters to deal with the most

uncomfortable aspects of their service, which I used to give my own philosophies

justification. In terms of my career, I’ve been involved in many different fields in the last twenty years. With fourteen years of management experience, I used that in how I structured the leading figures to be more realistic and human. When I wasn’t salaried, I would use my

writing as a means to cool down before and after shifts. I also tend to do my best writing when I’m at the bar…so most of my favorite scenes were written under the influence and simply edited later.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing

similar to?

 I don’t know who I’d compare myself to. I like to create a multi-POV system of

storytelling to allow more the plots to come together, which I can’t place where I got it

from. One thing I try to do with my action scenes that helps immerse myself is to storyboard

them like manga or comic panels so I can keep the immersion realistic…for as

fantastical of a story with monstrous creatures, magic, and superhuman powers can be.

Two authors I do take cues from for setting up the more emotional or suspenseful

scenes are Stephen King and Robert Randisi. King creates great atmosphere with his

ranging depth of description, while Randisi makes suspense particularly fun by leading

and trailing until he hits you with the surprise. I emulate them to make the plot less

predictable at times.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I think my biggest challenge was just having the confidence to think that somebody else

would want to read it. As I said, writing has always been therapeutic for me, whether to

relieve stress or to get my mind out of where I didn’t want to be. As I’ve continued the

series, I've challenged myself to create deeper meaning and more fascinating

environments for my audience to explore as they follow the story.

My biggest challenge now? I abhor what social media has become, so I have a really

hard time being active online to promote it. I know I need to if I want to make this my

actual career, but it is profoundly difficult for me.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

I think the best value in a title is found in how much you want to read more. By the time

the ending hits, I want my readers to go “Give me the next book. I need to know where

this is going.” At ~115k words, I would like to think it offers enough action and intrigue to

keep focus and create an interest in more. Not dropping any hints, but the second book starts off fast and hammers home how much this story has to offer. I have tested out the second book on a very limited group of readers, and two have threatened me if I don’t get them the edited version of the third one to them by year’s end…so I have that going for me, I suppose.

 

About The Author: Luke has spent a large chunk of his life as a hobbyist writer, using it as a means of escaping reality. A nerd of many cultures, avid gamer, and single father, he has used his strange and varied experiences to create characters and worlds in his stories to make

sense of his own. Starting the Branded series while in high school, it took many forms

during its long development time before he submitted the first to print after finishing four

whole books in its current form.

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.4 million pageviews. With 5,300+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum