Reviewed by Heather Curran for Reader Views (11/08/2025)
“Growing up in southern Germany, I frequently saw nuns when my family and I visited local churches and cathedrals. In my trips to Rome, when I toured the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica, nuns were likewise admiring the artwork or praying. Each time I noticed them, I was impressed by their selfless austerity and commitment to service. Elizabeth Upton’s book Secrets of a Nun: My Own Story both echoed my original perceptions while giving me a glimpse into a very nuanced life.
Secrets of a Nun spans the decades Upton lived and served as a nun. From an early age, she was called into service, entering the convent before her twenties. During her time in the ministry, she worked within different localities, striving to improve the quality of life while combating societal and political ills.
Secrets of a Nun humanizes women called into service. In poignant scenes, Upton narrates her experiences at university alongside other nuns. As they spent time together, they recognized their value and significance as intelligent, educated women. Too often, unfair stereotypes are identified and then dismissed; it’s easy to pigeonhole women in religious orders and service as emotionless, one-dimensional, and almost unfeeling. Upton turns that notion on its head and gives the reader a private, intimate understanding of the emotional and intellectual complexity that characterizes her and her religious sisters.
Upton’s beautiful writing leads the reader through her experiences. Conversations leap from the page and show the difficulties that Upton navigated as she entered neighborhoods that, at times, resented her presence. With care and an observant eye, she recognizes the politics within any religious organization and how, sadly, these political wranglings can negatively affect even the most devout and compassionate groups.
Elizabeth Upton’s Secrets of a Nun will appeal to memoir readers who want to learn about complex subjects and people undergoing a psychological and personal journey. Upton’s book is reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha in how it explores a woman’s emotional and intellectual growth within a society that frequently tries to diminish her, as it shares her powerful, intimate story of faith, identity, and resilience, revealing the emotional depth behind a life of devotion and quiet rebellion.
I highly recommend this book to all young women…
“Secrets Of A Nun: My Own Story” Is Available From Amazon
“Secrets of a Nun is a revealing, uncompromisingly honest, and deeply moving look into one woman’s soul. Now Celebrating 2025, the 40th Anniversary of this publication ‘Secrets of a Nun’…
Having grown up in Fairburn, Kim Carter moved to Newnan with her husband, Julius,seven years ago.
Her writing room is adorned with signed photographs and movie memorabilia from Angela Lansbury and actor Ari Lehman, the original young Jason from “Friday the 13th,” among the multitude of macabre decor. A life-size Michael Myers mannequin leers at Carter from one corner of the room while One-Eyed Willie, the skeleton from the Goonies, sits on an opposite wall, keeping an eye on her writing.
“This is something that my husband had done before he passed away, and I know it’s probably rather creepy to the average person, but there’s a lot of really cool stuff in here. I don’t write horror – I’m not a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz,” she explains. “I just love to collect all the cool things. I have a sound machine, and I’ll cut the lights off, and it’s really inspiring.”
“I think writers are very eclectic, we’re weird people,” she adds. “We write because it’s who we are. It’s what leads us to start fifteen projects at once, even though they may not ever get completed, or even see the light of day.” Carter started writing in 1999. “It was when an illness left me homebound that I turned to writing as a form of therapy,” she says. What started with a sentence, a paragraph, and then a couple of pages turned into a book. “It was my story; it was the beginning of finding myself and retrieving my health,” says Carter.
Friends and neighbors read her first manuscript, which came to them rolled up and held together with rubber bands, and became fully invested in the story and characters. This encouraged her to keep writing. “We all have a story in us. We’re actually living one every day,” she explains.
For her second book, Carter says, “My faithful group came through again and read the book in small sections, rolled up with rubber bands. I had garnered more support by then, especially from my husband, Julius, who was convinced they needed to be published. I’d love to flippantly say, ‘That’s when we were off to the races. But nothing goes as planned. That is one thing of which I’m certain.”
Four books and two publishers later, Carter says her writing career stagnated. “The people who read them seemed to like them, but I wasn’t within reach of a broad audience.”
Losing confidence, writing for deadlines and not for fun, Carter also began experiencing more health problems. “I left several projects incomplete, turned the computer off, and closed my office door. It was no longer therapeutic but too challenging. I was done with writing.” Slipping into depression, Carter says she received a wakeup call from her best friend, Kelly Keylon. Says Carter, “Kelly says, ‘You’re too good, you’re not going to quit – if I have to get these books out there myself, I’ll do it.’ And he did!”
They revisited her older novels and updated them. Re-inspired, Carter says her hands were soon tap-dancing across the keys once again. “My publicist, Catherine Lyon, worked day and night for meager wages, and we secured the talented Keith Saunders as a cover designer,” she says.
Her seventh release, “Dark Secrets of the Bayou,” was released in late November 2020, with over 160+ Amazon reviews. Kim Carter says her eighth book, ” The Root Of All Evil, ” was released as part of the ‘Clara and Iris’ trilogy titled “The Root Of All Evil,” released on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2024. Carter’s new release in the ‘Clara and Iris ‘ trilogy will be available from Amazon on November 1st, 2025, making it a total of nine novel releases to her literary credit.
“Every month, my girl Cat (Townsend-Lyon) calls to tell me where my books have been sold, reaching places I’ve never even visited, the U.K., Canada, Australia, and even Japan and Spain, while also being featured in ‘The New Post!” Carter, who has always loved murder mysteries, goes back to her high school days when she watched “Murder She Wrote” with her family. Reading various mystery authors helped her develop her own writing style.
Previous educator and close friend Juli Simpson has also been instrumental in helping Carter with her writing and ideas. “So many times I will paint myself into a corner and then I’m like, how am I feasibly going to get out of this where it’s believable?”
Kim Carter never knows what will inspire her with an idea for a book.
“It may be a place that’s both beautiful and creepy, or it may be just something that a person says that triggers me,” she says. “I’ve been to the morgue, the medical examiner’s office, cemeteries in the middle of the night, just all kinds of places that inspire me.
Actor Woody Harrelson’s father, Charles Harrelson, and I became extraordinary pen pals when he was in a supermax (prison) in Florence, Colorado.” She also reaches out to people at the GBI, the Atlanta police department, and various homicide departments, which may inspire a new storyline.
Kim Carter advises up-and-coming writers: “I think the key is having your own place to write, surrounded by things that inspire you. Having your own space to write, where you can close it off, is truly instrumental.”
(Interview/image courtesy of writer Jennifer Dziedzic of of the AJC & Newnan-Cowets Magazine) ********************
ABOUT THE NOVELISTKIM CARTER
Novelist Kim Carter is a multi-award-winning author and critically acclaimed writer of gripping suspense, chilling thrillers, and haunting historical mysteries.
Ms. Carter is widely recognized for her vibrant characters in her ‘A Clara and Iris Mystery’ series, which features two overly curious widows who become private investigators. These humorous women are inspired by Kim’s mother and her mother’s best friend. The series now includes books one through four. Book two of this series, Murder Among The Tombstones, was chosen as a Finalist for the 2018 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award and a recipient of the 2017 TCK Publishers’ Readers’ Choice Award.
Her Mysteries and literary works include Sweet Dreams, Baby Belle, When Dawn Never Comes, Deadly Odds (chosen Editor’s Pick in Books Shelf Magazine in 2022), No Second Chances, ‘And The Forecast Called For Rain,’ and ‘Dark Secrets of the Bayou, ‘The Root Of All Evil, in 2024, and her newest ‘A Clara and Iris’ mystery’ Time Did Not Forget’ in Nov. 2025.
“Dark Secrets of The Bayou” has been awarded a Reader’s Favorite Editorial 5-Star Review, also chosen #1 Finalist for Best Historical Mystery from Reader’s Favorite 2021 book awards, and was awarded a 2021 Killer Nashville Finalist for The Silver Falchion Awards. In 2022, “Bayou” was chosen by The Author Shout book awards as a ‘Recommended Read.’
Kim’s writing career started after she suffered an illness that made her housebound for a couple of years. An avid reader of mystery novels herself, she embarked on writing to fill her time. Kim’s health struggles and successes have been chronicled on Lifetime Television in early 2000, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Women’s Day Magazine, and Guidepost.
Now, with nine thrilling mystery titles to her credit, Kim worked in many different capacities in county government. Still, her job as a correctional officer ultimately offered her opportunities to talk and interact with a diverse group of people. Her experience runs the gamut from inspiring success stories to tragic endings as she writes within her mysteries.
Kim began networking and connected with numerous homicide detectives, medical examiners, and prison officials. Her research has taken her to many places, including morgues, death row, and the occasional midnight visit to cemeteries to gain material for her novels. She is a Saint Leo University college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
When she is not writing, she enjoys gardening, is an avid reader, and is a proud mother of four beautiful grown children; she resides and shares her time in Biloxi and Atlanta.
Welcome, Friends & Readers Elizabeth Is Happy to Share Some Updates With You As She Continues Celebrating The 40th Year of “Secrets Of A Nun: My Own Story,” her First Published Book!
I am delighted to share the photo above, which features my book showcased in the wonderful Montecito Journal newspaper at the end of June 2025! It is a wonderful newspaper in my local area of Santa Barbara and Montecito, California. There are many exciting happenings for both “Secrets of a Nun” and my romantic thriller, “The Shaman and The Mafia.
Right now, “Secrets” is featured in a wonderful readers’ magazine for August and September called “First Chapter Plus” by Reader Views. As the rest of the year goes on, I have several more events set for my book! The new issue is now out; you can subscribe to it FREE! CLICK HERE >> https://firstchapterpus.com/subscribe/
In early autumn, both “Secrets of a Nun” and “The Shaman and The Mafia” will be featured in Shelf Unbound magazine. Additionally, they will be displayed in a glossy catalog at the Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs from October 3rd to October 13th, 2025.
Here is some fantastic news and updates for readers and friends who have supported my books. To show my appreciation, I am offering three of my Kindle books for FREE this week, from August 7th to August 10th, 2025. Then, beginning August 11th, through September 20th, 2025, all my Kindles will stay priced at $3.99 to close out ‘Summertime Reading!’
Elizabeth Upton is an American Author and an influential writer of fiction and nonfiction spiritual self-discovery books.
Her best-selling books, ‘Secrets of a Nun: My Story,’ ‘The Silver Woman of Fire,’ and ‘The Shaman and The Mafia,’ helped set Elizabeth Upton firmly on the world’s literary map. With many novels to her credit, she released a new book in June 2022 titled ‘Lovers’ Secrets and Revenge, which is book three of ‘The John Callahan novel series.’
Elizabeth’s favorite she enjoyed writing was ‘The Shaman and The Mafia,’ as she shares, “The creation of this story has been an exciting journey. If possible, I would love to meet all of the characters in this book in real life.” Elizabeth’s books and novels are available on Amazon online and Barnes & Noble and featured on fine literary book sites.
Elizabeth was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA., until the age of sixteen, when she entered a New York State Convent and became a nun for twenty years, but she yearned for a more authentic spiritual life. Elizabeth left the convent and chose to attend and receive her B.A. from Syracuse University.
Returning to her native state of California, she attended and received her M.A. in psychology from Chapman University. The Author began working for over thirty years in family counseling as a social worker and probation officer, working with troubled teens and abused children. She is a speaker, spiritual mentor, and advisor.
Elizabeth is happily married and enjoys writing books for her readership around the world. When the Author is not writing, she works out with a personal trainer to stay fit and healthy; she loves spending time on long walks on the beach with her husband and dog. Her favorite colors are blue, green, and gold. She enjoys reading good books by some of her favorite authors like Geraldine Brooks, Hanh, Jerry Archer, Joseph Murphy, and Michael Connelly. Elizabeth, her husband, and her pup reside in Santa Barbara,CA.
The Definitive Guide to Amazon Keyword Research for Books (Courtesy of Lakshmi Padmanaban )
As an author, nothing is more important than getting your book discovered by readers. While a well-written story and polished production values are table stakes, they only take you so far if potential buyers can’t easily find your book. This is where optimizing your book’s ranking on Amazon becomes crucial.
In this blog, let’s look at specific strategies that can boost your book’s visibility — from leveraging search suggestions to analyzing top competitors in your genre.
Whether you’re a debut indie author or a seasoned pro, the keyword tactics outlined here can help you understand how Amazon’s algorithms work and give your book the best chance to rank. By the end, you’ll have an action plan to start implementing immediate improvements. So let’s start taking your Amazon book ranking to the next level through data-driven keyword optimization.
5 Keyword Research Strategies to Boost Your Amazon Ranking
1. Select High-Volume Keywords
When optimizing your book on Amazon, focus on selecting high-volume keywords that have a substantial search volume. This will help increase your book’s visibility and potential for sales. To identify these keywords, utilize keyword research tools created specifically for Amazon, like Ahrefs Amazon Keyword Tool, Sellesta or Sellzone. These platforms will provide you with data on search volume and related keywords to better inform your decisions. Experiment with different platforms and identify the tools that work best for your needs. Remember to regularly update your research and stay informed about trends and changes in keyword performance — and, most importantly, to monitor your keywords’ performance and adjust your selections.
2. Long-Tail vs. Short-Tail Keywords
There are two types of keywords to consider when optimizing your book on Amazon: long-tail and short-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords consist of one or two more generalized words with higher search volumes. Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are longer phrases with more specific intent and lower search volumes.
While it’s tempting to focus solely on short-tail keywords, balancing both long-tail and short-tail keywords is essential. This combination will help you reach both a larger audience as well as a more niche demographic. Incorporate both types of keywords into your Amazon book listing to achieve the best results for discoverability and sales.
3. Analyze Top-Selling Competitors
One of the best places to start keyword research is by analyzing your top-selling competitors. Look at the keywords in their product titles, descriptions, and bullet points. List the most frequently used keywords by successful competitors in your niche. These are likely to be highly searched terms that can drive sales.
When choosing keywords from competitors, look for long-tail keywords that are more specific than just generic brand or product terms. Long-tail keywords tend to have lower search volumes but are easier to rank for. You’ll want a mix of both high and low search volume keywords. Also, consider keywords related to your unique selling points that competitors may not be targeting.
Once you have a list, plug the keywords into the Amazon search bar to check the search volume and the number of related products listed. Focus on mid-range keywords that have monthly searches in the hundreds or low thousands. Highly competitive keywords with tens of thousands of searches may be too challenging to rank for initially.
4. Use the “Customers Also Searched For” Section
When viewing a book detail page on Amazon, a “Customers Also Searched For” section lists related keywords. These suggestions are based on the search patterns of customers who viewed that product. Add these related keywords to your list, as they are queries Amazon has identified as relevant.
For added context on search volume and competition, you can analyze these keywords like those from competitors. The “Customers Also Searched For” section on top-selling listings provides a wealth of relevant keyword ideas already validated by Amazon search data.
5. Research Questions in Your Book Category
Another source of potential keywords is to brainstorm common questions customers may ask about your book category. For example, in the gardening niche, you could come up with queries like “how to grow tomatoes” or “best fertilizer for roses.”
To validate these question-style keywords, enter them into the Amazon search bar preceded by “how to” or “what is” to see if auto-complete suggestions populate. If so, those queries indicate actual customer searches. You can then check search volume and competition. Question keywords tend to be longer-tail but can perform well if you have comprehensive answers in your listing.
How to Enhance Your Book’s Visibility With the Right Keywords?
Since Amazon has tons of books available at the click of a button, it’s crucial for authors to optimize their book descriptions, categories, and keywords for better visibility. Let’s focus on the best ways to enhance your book’s visibility through the effective use of keywords.
Incorporating Keywords in Book Titles
When choosing your book’s title and subtitle, consider relevant keywords that readers might use to search for your book. Including these keywords in your title and/or subtitle can help improve your book’s discoverability on Amazon. For example, if your book is about vegan cooking, you might choose a title like “The Vegan Kitchen: Quick, Easy, and Delicious Plant-based Recipes.”
Similarly, add your best keywords in the title, but at the same time, make sure that it’s utterly relevant to your book topic. Keep the title keywords very specific and close to the book title — preferably something that’s descriptive and gives a teeny-tiny insight into what your book is. Otherwise, your keyword inclusion will look forced and can actually drive readers away.
Incorporating Keywords in Book Description
After you’ve included the best and title-closest keywords to the book title, the next place to include them is in your book description. This is one of the places that Amazon considers when ranking your book. So from the list of keywords you’ve obtained from one of the keyword research tools, choose a few best ones that are very specific to what your book is about — and the keywords your target audience will use to search for books like yours.
Sprinkle those keywords all around your book description, making them sound natural and an organic part of the description instead of being forced. Add as many keywords as possible and repeat the primary keywords more than once. This is one of the best ways to get your book noticed by the Amazon search engine and increase its visibility in the search results.
Optimizing Author Pages with Keywords
Your Amazon Author Central page is another crucial place to include relevant keywords. By incorporating keywords into your author bio, book descriptions, and editorial review sections, you can boost your page’s SEO.
For instance, mentioning specific book genres you write in (‘romance’ or ‘crime thriller’) and adding a few writing-related qualifications with keywords like ‘award-winning author’ or ‘writing workshops’ can improve your Amazon Author Central page’s search visibility.
Wrapping Up
Implementing a comprehensive keyword strategy is one of the most impactful ways for authors to boost their book’s visibility and sales on Amazon. By thoroughly researching high-volume keywords, analyzing top competitors, and leveraging Amazon’s own search data suggestions, you can identify the most effective keywords to target. However, it’s important to regularly evaluate keyword performance and be willing to adjust your approach over time as search trends and algorithms change.
The techniques covered here, such as balancing long-tail and short-tail keywords, optimizing your book description and author page, and understanding the differences between Amazon and Google optimization, can help increase your book’s discoverability by more readers if implemented strategically. While ranking highly takes ongoing effort, focusing your efforts on keywords that are relevant, descriptive, and specific to your book topic and genre will give your book the best chance to succeed on Amazon.
With data-driven keyword research and optimization, you can start taking control of your book’s Amazon performance. Use the actionable tactics discussed in this post to analyze your book’s discoverability gaps and prioritize improvements. By leveraging the power of keywords, you’ll be able to enhance your book’s visibility, outshine competitors, and connect with more of the readers looking for your exact book. The time invested in optimizing keywords will pay off in increased readership and sales on Amazon for many books to come.
“All the time I wondered who Secora James was, and how we could possibly find, let alone help, a mythical creature.“
“Wakinyan Tanka, the Great Thunderbird contacted me in a dream while I was in the hospital healing from a lightning strike. She was perched atop a misty cliff and stood at least eight feet tall as far as I could tell. Her stare had a primitive fierceness that made me feel paralyzed, unable to move or speak. She was aware, and telepathically said, “All life is tenacious. You have survived what most men would not. My kind has survived what many of the large ones from a cooler time did not. She marked the statement by raising a Mohawk of crimson-tipped feathers that ran from the crest of her head partway down the back of her gray-black neck. I am Wakinyan Tanka. Long ago, humans relied on the grace of my people to lift their prayers by the wind of our wings to the Great Mystery of which we are all a part of. To those who sought our aid all over the earth, we were the embodiment of effortless grace, the Winged Power who protected and destroyed.”
If you’re a reader or a movie enthusiast who loves the “Indiana Jones” saga and enjoys mystery, action, and adventure, you’ll love reading all seven books in the thrilling and gripping “Rising Wind” novel series.
THE TRAIL OF FATE ~🌵🤠📚~ The sun rises. Is it fate? The moon rises. Is it fate? The people we meet and the places where we travel. Is it fate? All the many roads, twists, and turns, the people who come and go in our lives. Fate . . . What does it have in store for you? ~B. S. Daniels
THE TRAIL OF FATE The sun rises. Is it fate? The moon rises. Is it fate? The people we meet and the places where we travel. Is it fate? All the many roads, twists, and turns, the people who come and go in our lives. Fate . . . What does it have in store for you?
Step into the rugged world of the 1890s West in the debut novel, The Trail of Fate by B.S. Daniels. Follow Reg, a man torn between his test of will in his quest for justice and the welfare of all he holds dear. Will he find the cattle rustlers or lose everything he holds dear? Will fate give him justice or despair?
~🌵🤠📚🐎~
~Awarded An Exceptional Editorial Book Review Given by Reader’s Favorite August 2024.~
Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite
Trail of Fate, the first book in B. S. Daniels’ The Arduous Quest Western Adventure series, is a riveting homage to the gritty and action-packed world of classic Westerns. From the very first page, Daniels immerses readers in the untamed landscapes and rugged lives that defined the Wild West, delivering a story that is as thrilling as it is evocative. The protagonist, Reg, is a man whose unyielding sense of honor drives him on a quest for justice.
His journey is fraught with danger, and the narrative expertly balances moments of intense action with deeper, more reflective passages, adding a layer of depth to the story. Daniels crafts a tale where every encounter and decision could lead to redemption or ruin, capturing the unpredictable nature of life on the frontier.
The prologue sets the tone with poetic musings on fate, questioning the forces that shape our paths. This philosophical undercurrent, which runs throughout the novel, adds depth and a thought-provoking element to the otherwise straightforward adventure.
Trail of Fate is written in the first person POV, which gives readers a more intimate view of the protagonist. B. S. Daniels cleverly weaves a tale with many interesting characters in a way that’s easy to follow who’s who. The timing for this novel is perfect as Westerns are making a big comeback after a long lull. B. S. Daniels has crafted a story that is both a tribute to and a reinvention of Westerns while setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting series.
Whether you’re a long-time enthusiast or a newcomer to ‘Classic Western’ stories of action and adventure, the Trail of Fate is a journey worth taking.
~Reader’s Favorite Editorial Review~
~🌵🤠📚🐎🤠~
ABOUT THIS COWBOY, WRITER and HIS NOVEL
B. S. Daniels is an American writer, novelist, and former professional bull rider from Gunnison, Colorado. He released his first book, “Trail of Fate,” in late August 2024, which is book one and is part of The Arduous Quest – Adventurous Western Novel Series. The novelist aims to reignite the popularity of the old West and classic “Spaghetti Westerns” for a new generation of readers.
“Trail of Fate” is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in paperback, Kindle, and within Kindle Unlimited. Additionally, it is featured in various online literary magazines and large book sites.
Raised in Colorado, Daniels has been a successful business owner and creative entrepreneur for 40+ years. Now, bitten by the writing bug, he plans to write and publish several novels in his Arduous Quest series after the release of Trail of Fate. When Daniels is not writing, he enjoys spending time with his cattle dog in the great outdoors while still working on entrepreneurial endeavors.
He has raised four wonderful children and now delights in spending time with his “little posse” of grandkids, teaching them to appreciate the simple things in life. The author and novelist currently resides in Wyoming, USA.
You May Connect With The Author On Social Media & Amazon!
"CAT'S BOOK LIBRARY 4 READERS" 