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    Snow Ball: A Novel By April L. Hamilton
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    Brand: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

    Snow Ball: A Novel By April L. Hamilton

    4.3
    €43,00
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    €70,00
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    Customer Reviews

    Engaging and Fun Read!Clever writing and a quick pace made this book hard to put down. The setting is very believable, the characters are engaging, and the regional accents were spot-on. I'm looking forward to more from this author! 5Snow Ball Hits A TargetSnow Ball Hits A TargetI am giving this book five out of five stars not in comparison to all the other novels I have recently read, most of which have better covers, higher production values, and stronger substantive editing, but in comparison to what I thought a self-published novel would be like to read.I "met" April L. Hamilton on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel forum, where we soon found we disagreed on the way serious fiction writers should view the option of self-publishing. I argued that self-publishing by definition diluted writing quality, because self-published books had not been subjected to the kind of editorial scrutiny and attention that a publishing house provides. I felt that self-published novels should continue to be ignored by literary awards programs and major books sections, firstly because no qualified selection committee had chosen to publish them, and then because they had not benefited from the quality editorial input that forms part (ideally, at least) of the standard publishing process. Without some screening mechanisms, book reviewers and awards-selection committees would soon be buried in drivel.April argued that with the advent of easily accessible on-line print-on-demand publishing, and the availability of good editors for hire--not to mention designers and layout artists--the self-published author today can obtain the same quality input on their work as a publishing house provides. She also made a strong argument that with the ongoing mega-sization of the publishing industry and loss of mid-range houses, most writers who were formerly referred to as "mid-list" authors would probably never see their books in print at all if they left their destinies to the establishment. Their only certain course of action, according to April, was to go independent (or "indie," as she calls it).My thinking has been changed by my exchanges with April and others of her mind-set. I still will not self-publish my own fiction, or recommend that others do so, no matter how hard it is to find a publisher and an agent these days. But now at least I can see why some people with actual writing talent might choose to go this route, with no detriment and possibly some advantage to their careers. Self-publishing today is not the same as "vanity" publishing used to be--or at least not necessarily the same. Even if most bookstores will not stock self-published books, they can still be marketed and sold on-line, and thereby provide some income--as well as attention--to their authors. I have seen self-published books reviewed in major papers, and one recently won a literary prize. In the case of print-on-demand, their authors are also doing a favour to the environment.Snow Ball surprised me for the quality of its appearance. It is not up to major publishing-house standards, but I'm sure that within a few years CreateSpace-type companies are likely to overcome the current shortcomings in this area. I was also surprised with the quality of the copy-editing: there were a few typos here and there, but that happens even in books by major trade publishers. But I was especially surprised with the quality of the story April L. Hamilton has written. It was complex and well-structured, effective and absorbing. Snow Ball is a is a social commentary on the "celebrity" phenomenon as much as it is a light-hearted mystery about a man who suddenly disappears and the woman he leaves behind. The irony and sardonic humour of the social observations don't detract from the fun of the story itself and, although it would have benefited from substantive editing (as would this "review," I surmise, now that I see how long it's grown and how little of it is actually a review), the novel was well paced and interesting.With her Indie Guide to Self Publishing, April L. Hamilton has become a standard-bearer for writers looking for a sure route to publication. With Snow Ball, she shows what can be achieved by an author who would rather publish her own novel than never see it in print at all. I still believe that most of the people who will take advantage of the new technologies to self-publish their fiction are simply going to create drivel that we'll have to wade around in--hoping we can find signposts to the good and possibly even excellent before we are completely buried. But as well as being enterprising, April is a careful and imaginative writer, and when I add together her writing abilities with her determination, I have no difficulty giving her five stars... even if she is being judged in a category in which she is almost by herself, at least for now. 5Great story!I bought this book as the first that I would read on my Kindle by a recommendation from a friend. What a fun read - dark comedy that will remind you of Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiassen and Jennifer Crusie at their best. Do not get this book unless you have the time to read it - I read the whole thing in ONE sitting. Turns out you can cook dinner with your right hand and cradle the Kindle in your left! Read this book and brag to your friends that you've discovered the "Next Big Thing" in fiction. Kudos to April Hamilton. I can't wait to read her next one. 5the fun "snowballs" in Snow Ballsnowballverb: To increase or expand suddenly, rapidly, or without control: explode, mushroom.v.intr.: To grow rapidly in significance, importance, or size: "problems that snowballed by the hour."In this highly entertaining novel by April Hamilton, the reader is drawn into a story that begins quietly, without fanfare. Once it gets rolling, however, there's no stopping it. The clever chapter titles ("The Winter Games," "Flakes") are consistent with the tone of the novel, which manages to present the most bizarre goings-on in a matter-of-fact manner.Hamilton's descriptions of how various TV shows would cover the story are hilarious and her observations about human nature are spot on. This is a fun read that also gives pause for thought in the most unexpected places. 5Too convoluted and takes much too long to get to the point, IMOTo my taste, this novel is nowhere near as good as her second one, "Adelaide Einstein," which I would give five stars. It's almost as though "Snow Ball" and "Adelaide Einstein" were written by two different authors. I not only found it easy to put this novel back on the shelf, so-to-speak, but I just kept hoping the story would hurry up and end. I gave the novel three stars, rather than merely two, because the author used clever dialogue at times and gave evidence of having researched several topics more than superficially. 34 1/4 StarsPlot/Storyline: 4 StarsThe plot was a little thin, but the storyline made up for it. The entire novel had a "Fargo"-like feel to it that really made it interesting. I can't even say exactly why the book reminded me of that movie, but I definitely thought of it throughout.The characters in the opening scene are not revisited until the last third of the book. I did find this rather irritating as, throughout the novel, I kept wondering who those people were and what they had to do with the events. Also, I found them to be very intriguing characters and would have liked to hear more from them.There were some portions that had some repetition, such as the portions relating the headlines and new stories. For the most part, though, the storyline kept a good forward momentum.The book was actually fairly realistic, with one exception. I don't want to give spoilers, so I will just make a blanket statement. I find it impossible to believe that anyone would mistake a dead body for a mannequin, even if the body was frozen. Some of the antics that led up to the scene that caused me to make that statement were a little far-fetched, but perhaps somewhat believable. However, I did have the feeling that those portions were unnecessary and simply added in for comic relief.I absolutely loved the ending.Character Development: 4 1/2 StarsCinder was a rather mediocre character. Although she was the main focus of most of the book and we learned most of her background, she was still not a very deep character. I had trouble empathizing with her at all.The rest of the characters were just that: "characters." They were funny, improbable, and a joy to read.Writing Style: 4 StarsAs I mentioned above, I wasn't fond of the "prologue" style used to open the book. My other issue with the writing style was that there were too many instances where the author resorted to telling stories about people, instead of showing their personalities through dialogue and actions. Cinder's development especially suffered from this.Otherwise, the sentence structure was great with a nice even flow to the reading. The descriptions and dialogue were good, too. 4Quirky, Masterfully Written PlotThis novel had a very unique premise, and managed to expertly weave three distinct plot lines (all involving strong female characters) together to create an ending that is surprising and satisfying. The reader will likely be kept guessing as to how all the loose ends will be tied up and a dark version of justice will be served, but never fear--the ending is great.The writing was superb, well edited (a major bonus in independently produced books), and the characters are likeable and well developed. The story is a bit fantastic with a whole "weekend at Bernie's" motiff but it makes for a great, fun read. I read the whole book in 3.5 hours because I couldn't put it down, and now it has earned a spot in my "Favorites" section of my Kindle. Well worth the 99 cent price tag. 5Light romp through the darkNice little noire farce supporting the manufacture of news. 3Funny and funJust finished reading Snow Ball by April Hamilton. Found the book on the Kindle Fouum. To me it was a funny book. Kept my interest and once the plot was made, one mistake kept leading to another. Kept thinking this would make a good movie. Kind of like the 3 stooges or Weekend at Bernie's. you wanted to keep reading just to see what was going to happen next. Did not expect the ending. At one point, the reader thinks they have it all figured out. Wrong. The author was able to twist the plot around and made a series of catastrophies seem like the logical solution. Left you with a smile and shaking your head at the same time. Easy to visualize. Thanks for a fun read. I like this author and immediately downloaded Adelaide Einstein. Looking forward to reading it.Snow Ball: A Novel By April L. Hamilton 5Terrific FunAfter recently reading 2 Kindle books by indie authors I really was about to throw in the towel. Overuse of the 'simile' was getting on my last nerve! Glad I found this book. It was original, refreshing, cleverly written and a really fun read. I loved the whole idea of showing how an innocent set of circumstances can 'snow ball' out of control when people make assumptions or try to re-invent the facts to fit their own aspirations. I was drawn in at the very first sentence because the women were meeting in Sheboygan, WI which happens to be my hometown. Great book! Renewed my interest in indie authors....I just have to be a bit more picky. Looking forward to reading more from this author. 5
    Snow Ball: A Novel By April L. Hamilton

    Snow Ball: A Novel By April L. Hamilton

    4.3
    You can't add more than 500 quantity.
    €43,00
    €43,00
    €70,00
    Sold out
    Save 39% (€27,00)