A good book would not only educate a child, but would make them want to pick up another. Unfortunately, the opposite was also true. This applies to adults as well. The more good books we read, the more good books we want to read.
So Debra started reviewing to help people pick books that would foster their love of reading, instead of extinguishing it. For the past six years she has been reviewing full time, earning the respect of such industry giants as Amazon, Penguin, and Random House, as well as the gratitude of thousands of authors. She has also been a judge for several book award contests and has a regular book advice column in her local newspaper.
Along the way Debra has been joined by many volunteer reviewers who share her passion for reading and desire to help authors. As the owner of a very successful book reviewing website, Debra recently joined forces with several contest judges, web developers, and internet advertisers, to create Readers Favorite; a comprehensive and easy-to-use hub for authors and readers.
Readers have access to a simple but complete review page for an ever increasing number of books. Each book features a straight forward review from a member of the Readers Favorite team, as well as reviews by individual readers. Because we only list premium books, the reviews are primarily positive, creating an enjoyable community for book enthusiasts.
But Debra's primary purpose for this site is to help authors, so we will not list one or two-star books. Unlike other review sites, we do not pad our site with reviews that would only hurt an author. If you are looking to read scathing reviews of bad books, try some of our competitors.
Debra has always wanted to provide a competition for her authors that would give them the opportunity for broader recognition and greater success. Over the years she has been fortunate enough to become friends with some accomplished literary professionals, and have asked them to sit in as Readers Favorite Contest Judges.
One such judge is a best-selling author, three-time EPPIE award finalist, two-time former judge, and has been a professional editor for over twenty years. Each of our judges have extensive literary experience, and have come together to join Debra in creating a fair and respected competition.
"I hope you enjoy our site, and good luck to all the authors in our Award Contest!"
Some of our Volunteer Reviewers
We are growing by leaps and bounds and need all the qualified reviewers we can get. If you
are
interested in becoming a Readers Favorite Reviewer, please fill out our Reviewer Application form.
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Howdy Partners, my name is Dennis De Rose. I'm 56 years old and married to a wonderful gal. We are blessed with 3 children and 4 beautiful grandchildren. I have a deep love for the printed word. I have a talent for editing and have been affectionately referred to as "detail oriented" and a "walking dictionary."
I am the official editor for Readers Favorite. I volunteer my editing services on the hundreds of reviews Readers Favorite publishes each month, and offer my editing services at a reasonable cost to any authors who believe they would benefit from a thorough proofread/edit. Feel free to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
for more information.
"I love the changes and recommendations you've made and feel when I'm finished I'll have a polished manuscript."
--Andrew Rafkin, award winning author. |
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For nearly fifty years, award-winning author Dr. Karen Hutchins Pirnot worked with children and their families in various settings including private practice, hospitals, schools and nursing facilities. As a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Pirnot worked in conjunction with the Department of Human Services and the Juvenile Justice Systems while practicing in Iowa. Both her novels and her children’s books are written to explore and facilitate individual learning as well as to promote feelings of self-efficacy.
After winning several awards in our 2009 Award Contest, Dr. Pirnot has joined the Readers Favorite team as one of our valued volunteer reviewers. You can learn more about her on her website. |
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Hello! My name is Molly Edwards. I am a mom to two wonderful boys who hold my heart. I am also a part time pharmacy technician, which is my dream job...I love what I do! In my spare time, which I have a lot of since I only work part time, I love to read, quilt and collect books. I have bookshelves overflowing with books of all genres! In fact, you could say that I have a mini used book store right in my bedroom!
I am fortunate to be able to review books for Readers Favorite, Thomas Nelson, as well as many other publishing companies and authors. I review books for the sheer enjoyment of reading a good book, and to help spread the word about new, wonderful authors and their creations! I also have a blog where I post many of the reviews I have done. That's me in a nutshell! |
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Stan Almendro lives with his wife, June, and their four children in Alberton South Africa. Stan is a Sales and Marketing Director for a group of companies and has ministered the Word of God for over 40 years. He is also a writer and editor for the "Whisper from the Heart Poetry Club."
I believe that the greatest gift given to us are the people around us. The passion of my life is people, which is reflected in my choice of career, my involvement in the ministry and my writing. Hosting the Whisper Poetry Club allows me to help thousands of students and adults world wide.
Another of my passions is travel, which has taken me all over the world. Our children are all married now, and besides sports and traveling, I am a voracious reader and love to help new authors with an honest critique of their work. |
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My Name is Lynn Fowlston and I live with my husband in Tennessee. We have 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren! I have many hobbies, including counted cross stitching, puzzles, working with animals and of course, reading.
I have loved reading all my life, and have amassed a home library of close to 1,400 books from the 1800's to 2010. I have tried to pass my love of reading to my children. Reading is not only an adventure for children, it also helps them tremendously in school.
I will read almost any genre, and enjoy being one of the first to read works from new authors, because you never know who will be the next James Patterson! You can read more about me on my blog. |
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Dr. Robert Rose has spent 43 years teaching from K -12. He has devoted the past 7 years to teaching teachers in two universities. His many education and self-help books are available through Amazon, Borders, and Barnes & Noble. He and his wife, Marie, have raised a blended family of seven.
Dr. Rose won a Gold Medal in our 2009 Award Contest for his manuscript, "Joys of Teaching: They Touched My Life." After winning he wanted to give something back to Readers Favorite and other new authors and has recently become a volunteer reviewer.
Dr. Rose reviews many genres, but specializes in educational books. You can learn more about him on his website. |
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My name is Jill Buck and have been an avid reader for years. The first book I can recall reading myself was Green Eggs and Ham. In second grade I remember making the transition into chapter books and then I was totally hooked. I am never without a book. I carry them with me in my purse and in the car for those just in case moments.
Currently I am a stay at home mom to my four children. My unwinding time at the end of the day usually involves a book. It is very tough out there for new authors, and it has been very exciting and rewarding to review their books and help them with a professional review, and when necessary, constructive criticisms. |
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Rita Goatley grew up in Cloverport, a small town on the banks of the Ohio River. Currently she and her husband Alvin live in Hawesville, KY. Rita is employed by Southern States Coop, where she works in sales.
She has two children: Adam, who is a student at Western KY University and Sara, a student at Hancock Middle School.
Rita is an active member of Hawesville United Methodist Church. She enjoys Bible Study, reading, and an occasional night out with the girls. Although she enjoys many genres, she prefers those with a Christian theme. |
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Hello, my name is Dianne Carter. I live in Lewisport and I am a mother of two grown girls and one 10 year old granddaughter. I have always enjoyed reading, it was my favorite pastime when I was growing up in St. Louis, MO.
I am on the right in this picture, with my oldest daughter Rebecca. She loves hearing about the books I am reviewing for Readers Favorite. I find reviewing very rewarding, and hope that I am not only helping helping others choose books that are fun and exciting, but also helping the authors as well. |
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Hello! My name is Diana Shepherd and my favorite author is Karen Kingsbury (pictured left). My wonderful husband and I have been married for 4 years and we are the proud parents of 6 dogs and 3 cats. I work at a paper mill in the environmental department. My husband and I also have an outreach ministry at our Church. We are in charge of the Church's food pantry and our Thursday night service. I have been a Christian my entire life but have really embraced my personal relationship with God in the past 3 years.
I love to read and it has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I have a book with me at all times. I like sharing my thoughts about the books I read with others and I hope my feedback will help readers and authors alike. |
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Hi, my name is Vicki Newell. My husband and I live in Florida and have been married for 21 years. We have 3 children, 4 grandchildren and we all live within a half hour drive from each other. I always carry two things with me: a book and my camera.
My favorite place to be in the world is the beach. I also love going out on our boat, trivia, movies, card games, Cranium, walking and working out.
I consider it a privilege when an author entrusts me with their book for review.
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Richard Guy is a Structural Engineer who throughout his 40 year career has worked in England, the Middle East, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Canada and the United States. As an Engineer he has observed the anomaly of Receding Seas in worldwide and has written about these observations in his three books.
His theory is that our Planet Earth is expanding and as the Expansion takes place the Seas Recede. He is a foundation member of the Expanding Earth Exchange and has received commendation for his work from The International Biographical Center at Cambridge, UK. You can learn more on his website.
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Anna del C. Dye was born in the extreme South along its famous beaches. She is the third child and twins with her sister Elena. She loves sewing and cares for the costumes of four different plays.
Anna has received the Editor's Choice Award for her article "A New American Mother," which was published by Desert Saints Magazine. Her award winning short story "Amerine-Fairy Princess" was published by Kalkion Magazine. Other articles about family and relationships have been published in the MOMS CLUB(R) of Salt Lake Valley-West.
Anna has found reviews critical to the success of her books, and is excited to help other authors by volunteering her time as a Readers Favorite reviewer. You can learn more about her on her website.
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Hello! My name is Sylvia Heslin. This is a picture of me with my very tall son. I work as a pre-school teacher and love reading to the children that I work with. Two of my favorite children's book are "Good Night Moon" and "Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."
I have always loved to read and own over 500 books.
I'm also a classical ballet dancer and perform with the Santa Clara Ballet Company in San Francisco. I love stores and enjoy them whether as a book, movie, ballet, symphony or on stage.
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My name is Fiona Ingram, I grew up surrounded by books so reading came naturally to me and I developed a love for them from an early age. Life took me into theater studies and then journalism, and then into writing for children. My first book "The Secret of the Sacred Scarab," was a winner in the 2009 Readers Favorite Awards. I then realized just how important book reviews are for authors and decided I would volunteer for the Readers Favorite review team.
I read widely on almost any topic and look forward to being of service to other authors. My interests include (you guessed it) reading, writing, ancient history, art, music, travel, theater, antiques, animals, and anything cultural. I recently adopted a disadvantaged child with reading problems so I have become very involved in issues of child literacy and encouraging parents to engage more in helping their children discover the magical world of books.
I live in South Africa where illiteracy is a huge problem so I hope my small contribution will make a difference. You can learn more about me on my website. |
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My name is Tammy Griffin and I am a mother of one, a pastor's wife and a part-time elementary school teacher. We make our home in East Texas in beautiful Rose Country. I absolutely enjoy reading fiction and children's books.
I am not an author but I do enjoy writing reviews for my book blog. Besides reading I enjoy baking cookies and other goodies for our parishioners and my family. |
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James Ventrillo is a currency trader, web designer and author. He is currently single and lives in Myrtle Beach, SC.
After winning a 2009 Readers Favorite Gold Medal for his book, Rick and Bobo, James offered to join the Readers Favorite team to help answer support questions and maintain our website.
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