​This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power

Conversation Skills: For The Ultimate Professional is the second in the Master Sales Manual series of books. A no non-sense and direct approach to the psychology of conversation, with over one hundred tips to improve your conversation skills, your relationships, and your life. 

While I really love to read and work with the various fictional genres, I’ve read a good bit of non-fiction including that of the professional advice. I thoroughly enjoy any book that I can learn from especially those that “cut to the chase” so to speak. Over the past couple of weeks that I have spent familiarizing myself with Conversation Skills I have learned a good bit. A lot of which I have found very easy to apply to my life. Author Dan Blaze has spent almost 20 years in sales, working across many different types of markets. He shares his insight into those experiences in this refreshingly direct, no nonsense format.
This book is number two in the Master Sales Manual series by Mr. Blaze. The first book, The Perfect Sales Pro: 10 Key Concepts to Master the Art of Sales was published in 2014. The second book, Conversation Skills: for the Ultimate Professional, however focuses on the very personal art of direct communication. How many times have you replayed a particular conversation in your mind, wishing you had a chance to “do over”? Mr. Blaze provides relevant examples of how to understand the behind the scenes psychology that can help you be a better conversationalist, no matter what topic. The author covers everything from various conversational gambits to insight into the message content of the body language of the person you are conversing with. His constant use of metaphor, simile and current cultural analogies helps the reader connect to the content. One of my favorite examples is his use of a Dumb and Dumber line pertaining to the art of listening; “Yeah I called her up, she gave me a bunch of crap about me not listenin’ to her enough, or somethin’. I don’t know I wasn’t really payin’ attention.”
I once read that very successful people read at least one non-fiction book a month. This would be over and above any required reading for school or profession. While it may take some patience and you will most likely have to put all of your Harry Potter books in another room, it is defiantly worth the time and effort. Like all helpful self-help and professional development type books, your benefit will be directly linked to the effort you put into learning the lessons and options presented. Though the book mainly targets the up and coming young sales professionals, we can all benefit from better communications skills. Conversation Skills: for the Ultimate Professional is something that you should find the time to read.

Hi everyone! So in my last post I mentioned that I would be posting the Conversation Skills review today. However, I have been super busy this week and I have had no time to read! Just heading out this morning to the airport to fly New York City .   It’s going to be a busy four days. A few of my friends and I will be practicing with the cast of the Lion King and seeing the show on Broadway on Saturday and then practicing and singing in Carnegie hall on Monday.   I am so excited! If you would like to follow me through NYC I will be posting about it on Twitter (@livslife511) and Snapchat (pink.ninja511). All of this being said I hope to have the review up sometime next week. If you would like to buy Conversation Skills by Dan Blaze click the link below or you can purchase it through my estore.
Also if you are interested in purchasing any of the books I review or just looking to get a new book check out The Bookshelf page. It has been updated so now you can search any title and purchase it through this website. The estore is hosted by Amazon therefore anything you may order will come from Amazon. I hope you guys like this new feature!
And finally a message to any author looking for an editor. I am partnering up with JustEditing and when you use the code: livsbookshelf you will get 15% off your whatever the charge of your edit is. I am so excited to be able to offer this coupon to you all. I have seen JustEditing and they are very professional  and  thorough. 

_​What if you could go back in time to save a life?
The rules are simple, you must be 18, you can only go back 6 months and you must never ever change the past. But that is exactly what Brooke plans to do.

​This book only recently made it on to my reading list. I didn’t know much about it, but decided to give it a try. As soon as I opened it up and started reading, I knew this book was something special. In fact it was so special, that I devoured it in about four hours! I absolutely loved reading The Clay Lion. I read a lot (book blogger…duh!) and I just can’t say enough good things about the book.
The story line is very realistic and engrossing. There are no literary short cuts, story hacks or missing elements in the way the story was presented. It is evident from page one, that this book was written by a true master’s touch. The character development and portrayal was of the same high caliber writing. I was able to connect with Brooke emotionally. Due largely to the fact that all of the characters were written expertly made this book a page turner.
One of my favorite elements to this story was that the author (Amalie Jahn) was able to work in a number of life lessons useful to all ages. I loved how The Clay Lion pulled me in without using any extra noise or frivolous details we see in many YA books these days. The author did such a good job, that I think that readers from all walks of life and all ages will enjoy it. It would not surprise me if many of the readers found themselves and their outlook on life changed by the story. I would recommend this book to everyone, no matter your age or situation. It’s just a great read.
After reading, it makes perfect sense that The Clay Lion received four awards, Readers' Favorite International Book Award, Literary Classics Seal of Approval, Kindle Book Award for Young Adult (2015), and Literary Classics Gold Medal. If you liked The Giver then you will love this book. If you are just looking for something new I would start here. I can think of no other book to better introduce someone to the world of fantastic literature.
Note: I’m reading the second book in the series (Tin Men) and it’s a page turner as well.

If you would like more information on The Clay Lion click here._

Hi everyone. So it's February 6th and I have been remarkably busy this week. Today was a tournament day at the gun club I work at and there was so much to do! I am super tired however I thought I would do a small post to tell you guys what to look forward to at The Bookshelf this month. First of all a huge thanks to all of the authors who have supported this blog! I'm having so much fun reading your books and I am learning so much. This month there are so many great books I am thrilled to share with you guys. Here is the list of books I will be reviewing for the month of February. 

• The Clay Lion by Amalie Jahn
• Conversation Skills: For The Ultimate Professional by Dan Blaze
• Prophecy by Coreena McBurnie
• Patriarch Run by Benjamin Dancer

 I love getting emails from authors about their books. I am open to a variety of genres and would love to review your book. I am finishing up my review on The Clay Lion by Amalie Jahn. I will post the review Monday...you really don't want to miss out on this book!