Book Details:
Book Title: Mind Over Bullies: A Mob Forms by D.K. Smith
Category: YA Fiction, 378 pages
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Publisher: Khamicom Publishing
Release date: August 2015
Available for review in: Print, ebook (PDF)
Will send books: Internationally
Tour dates: Aug 17 to 28
Content Rating: PG + M
Book Description for Mind Over Bullies: A Mob Forms
People that feel bullied just need to toughen up. That’s what Margo Rios used to think. Margo is pretty, popular and unsympathetic to just how intense bullying can get. As a counterfeiting plot sweeps through the city of Oak View however, life for Margo changes dramatically.
With the mystery unfolding, an unlikely group of heroes emerges. Bullied teens love them, the police hate them and bullies fear them. Together they will try to get to the bottom of the counterfeiting mystery while ingeniously teaching a few bullies a lesson or two along the way… that is, if the police don’t catch them first.
“Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms” follows the lives of several teens chronicling the emotional and psychological changes they experience as a result of their encounters with bullying. The lives of the characters play out while an elaborate counterfeiting mystery unfolds making for a fast paced, action-packed read.
Preview the book here:
Author's Bio:
A 38 year old native of Los Angeles, Mr. Smith began his writing career after getting news that he would soon become an uncle. Wanting to create stories and characters for his expected niece, he created the children’s book series “Sock n Boots Adventures.” The two characters (three year old Sock and five year old Boots) began to make names for themselves, generating downloads in countries around the world.
When asked about his motivation to tackle the subject of bullying in a 108,000 word novel Smith said, “One day I came across a story in the news about a young girl that jumped in front of a subway train after weeks of bullying. As I investigated further, I was shocked at the number of similar stories I encountered. Bullycide, the news was calling it. I thought, wow, what if these young people had been shown that the pain of bullying can be handled without hurting themselves or someone else.”
Ultimately it was thoughts of his now four nieces and three nephews dealing with bullying as they get older that weighed heavily on the decision for Smith to write the story about bullying. “I recognize that the characters and situations in the book may not represent every bullying situation and that realistically the book won’t change the world, but I do sincerely hope that it sends a subtle message about there being life after bullying. We’ll just have to see how the public receives it,” Smith said.
A lover of mystery and espionage stories, Smith is a fan of everything James Bond. A favorite scenario is to see a character in an impossible situation get out of it at the last second or have the odds against them and see he or she turn the tables. Acting on the love of espionage and mystery, Smith has a new novel in the works centering on a James Bond-type character of his own creation.
Interview with D.K. Smith, author of Mind Over Bullies:
1. Tell the readers about MOB
A double plot with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Some of the feedback has compared it to the Hunger Games. Multiple characters make it easy to find one or two that a reader can identify with.
2. It looks like you are with a smaller/independent publisher. Why did you choose that route?
It was the only way. I hadn’t sold twenty million copies yet, so the larger publishing houses did what they often do and decided to pass on the story. Not surprisingly, the public has had a totally different reaction though. Time and again the feedback has been that the book is well written and well worth reading. So I just wanted the story to be told, and Khamicom gave me the chance to do that.
3. What is a well written book?
A story that makes the reader think, one that connects from beginning to end and has a plot and characters that are well developed. Most importantly, it is a complete story. When a reader is finished they are satisfied that the whole story has been told and they don’t feel like anything has been left out.
4. Where do you see publishing going in the future?
Honestly, I see it heading for a complete shift to self-publishing. Everything is going digital, and there are so many advantages to keeping control of your own books. Royalties are higher, and the overhead is low. Just look at the data on Amazon’s share of the publishing industry, then look at the share that Indie, self-published and small press books have of that number. The shift is already happening.
Places like Amazon make it easy to publish in paperback or digital formats, so the process is more accessible to writers these days.
5. Why do you think that other well written books just don’t sell?
No way to tell. Poor marketing or lack of it. Possibly the story isn’t as well written as the author or publisher might think. Some stories have been told over and over again, so the public may have just become uninterested in a particular storyline. Unoriginal doesn’t sell, even if it is well written. After the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, countless authors went out and wrote BDSM stories and other forms of erotica, but nothing else in that genre has had that level of success. There is no formula for being the first Fifty Shades, or Hunger Games or other bestseller, but once it’s been done, you gotta fine something new.
The book is about a group of teenagers who are bullied into using counterfeit money. The story takes place in both Oak View California and London England. The story does tend to bounce at times between the 2 places and leaves you to catch up.
There is a message in this book about bullying, which is something more Authors and definitely Television shows need to concentrate on.
This was a ok book. It wasn't bad but it was one I could put down. Now please don't take that as the book wasn't good, it just was a personal opinion. I am sure others loved the book. It is more of a book for Young Adults. So maybe if I read it 20 years ago I would of identified with the characters more.
Giveaway:
Prizes: Win a $100 Amazon gift card and one of 5 MOB logo wristbands (ends September 5, 2015)
Thank you for allowing me to review your book.
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