Sacha T. Y. Fortuné

This book came to me via an ARC program and I was interested in the topic.

The Premise

With decades of experience of coaching and developing strong business leaders and their salespeople, the author compiles and shares strategies for success by focusing on the human-to-human aspect of selling.

The Pros & Cons

“The Human Sales Factor” is a nonfiction self-help reference book aimed at business leaders and salespeople, which focuses on the human aspect at the core of every component of the sales process. The author highlights the fact that “every single one of us is a salesperson” and mentions that investors or clients don’t necessarily choose the best idea or product but instead, they invest in a person. He states:

Therein lies the underpinnings of getting what you want—a secret only the best salespeople, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders in the world know: selling, at its core, isn’t about moving a product or service, it’s about moving people.

He mentions that we have to deal with our “interiority” first before we can explore our “exteriority,” and underscores the importance of one’s Emotional Quotient (EQ), i.e. “the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.” While often regarded as a “soft skill,” this is extremely critical for business at any level. He considers it the “three-legged stool upon which H2H [Human to Human] connections are built” — the three legs being a combination of self-control, interpersonal skills, and communication.

He presents strategies for raising one’s EQ, which include a positive mindset, converting self-deception into self-awareness, turning self-focus into other-focus, becoming more rewarding to deal with, and controlling temper tantrums. Another key concept is “social proof” which itself has adapted drastically as we now focus heavily on others’ reviews to make a purchasing decision, and it also means that the seller’s credibility is under even more scrutiny. Similarly, the value of the seller’s “personal branding” has also become even more crucial amidst an increasingly more savvy marketplace.

Though the book is aimed at a specific audience, these strategies can be useful to anyone for our own self-reflection and self-improvement, for example the section on “controlling your impression” and how to adapt your sales approach based on the time (usually seconds) that is available. One important take-away for me was what the author referred to as unpredictable “black swan” events like a natural disaster or a pandemic that are extremely widespread and can have serious repercussions on the economy or the market of a particular industry. Essentially, these events cause huge shifts in the way people buy and sell things, and though the initial impact can’t be avoided, the recovery is the business leader’s domain of control to interpret the market and adapt:

The fact is, everybody wants or needs something. That will never change, no matter the environment. The key is to select the right strategy.

Throughout the book, there are many anecdotes or real-life stories interwoven into the strategies and concepts presented, and the language used is simple and clear. I also liked the nature of storytelling in the author’s voice, as it felt like a conversation rather than just “reading a book.” This is intentional, as the author highlights (which has been scientifically proven) that “people forget facts, but they remember stories.” These stories that he uses to convey his own messages are engaging, and the book is well laid out and presented. As each chapter unfolds, it provides a recap of what was covered, allowing for easy revision.

Conclusion

Overall, I must admit this is quite similar to other self-help books on the topic, and there is nothing radically new here; still, there’s always room in the market to provide inspiration and actionable strategies to business leaders, and this does the job well. I enjoyed it, and appreciated the research and effort put into compiling it in an easy-to-read and digestible format. It was educational and informative, yet also brief enough for casual but impactful reading, as the format makes the content memorable and it resonates with the reader. I believe it will be valuable for its target market, and I would recommend to other readers to internalize and apply these strategies in their own situations.

Purchase your copy

I read the first book in this series, after being blown away by this author’s other books (see all links below), so of course I eagerly lapped up this ARC once I got a notification that it was available.

• Inked
• The Girl Who Talks To Ashes
• The Lightning Conjurer Series (4 books)

The Premise

Continuing on from where the last book ended, Talia now has some experience in the Fae world under her belt, but there’s still a lot she doesn’t know about her mysterious Runemaster and incubus boss Zayn. When he is captured in a seemingly unreachable location, she must find a way to rescue him from the power-hungry mob boss that he betrayed. But as she learns more about Zayn, she realises she may be in over her head with the violent magic they are fighting against. With the help of a reincarnated fledgling familiar Biscuit in tow, can she find a way to save them all?

The Pros & Cons

This was another rollicking adventure with lovable, colourful characters that leap off the page and stay with you. As Talia bumbles her way through the Fae world and finds innovative ways to survive, we cheer her on hoping that she and her lover Zayn can reunite and FINALLY get their act together! But of course it’s not quite that simple… though the passion is there (and there are some super-steamy moments to prove it!), she soon realises that her infatuated connection is no match for the power-hungry Sol and his crew of evil-doers. The history between Sol and Zayn goes way back — and Zayn has conveniently omitted a few key details about how they became entangled in the first place.

Again I loved all the descriptions, the hilarious moments, and of course the always-cheeky Biscuit! The book is fast-paced and if you put it down for a bit you’ll struggle to get back into the swing of it, because there is barely a pause for breath from one scene to the next! I mentioned with the first book that I got a wee bit lost with keeping track of the fae realm’s inner workings, so I was grateful this time for the inclusion of a chart at the beginning with some info to remind me of what’s what! Also I did miss the Jewish language scattered among the words throughout the last book; there’s a bit of it here as well, but just not quite as much overall — as we’ve gotten to know the characters better, and the action is heavier with the plot moving things forward quicker. Nevertheless these tiny niggles are minuscule compared to the story that is riveting from beginning to end, with a hefty amount of heart for good measure!

Conclusion

This was another great one to complement the first in the series, and I highly recommend to adult readers who enjoy a little raunchiness in their fantasy reads. Fabulous characters, beautiful book covers (works of art!), just the right amount of steaminess to curl your toes, and a nice dollop of humour to make you laugh out loud! This is now my seventh book by this author, and I’m officially a fan (I have been from the first one!) so I eagerly await the next in this series, and look forward to her other future works as well.

Purchase your copy

This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it because the synopsis sounded unlike anything I had ever read.

The Premise

Reverend Amos Richardson, Rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church outside of Richmond, Virginia, is a man of deep faith, confident in his gifts as a husband, father, and priest — that is, until he befriends a convict in Virginia’s prison system while his life goes into a downward spiral. Weathering this crisis, he questions his faith, his vocation, and even who he is at his core, and wonders if he will ever be the same again.

The Pros & Cons

“Kenosis” explores the thorny subjects of faith and religion. Centred on the life and trials of an Episcopal reverend, it explores an unusual friendship between a man of the cloth and a convicted felon who is doing time. In each other, they find a connection that transcends the disparities between the stations in their lives, and Reverend Amos Richardson is touched and forever changed by his interaction with Jess.

Amos is a husband, a father, and a spiritual leader in the community, yet we can also see the ways in which he behaves less than admirably: he disregards his wife’s and children’s needs at times in favor of his job, and succumbs to unhealthy vices when faced with challenges in his life.

The story moves along at a steady pace, revealing an imperfect man who is trying to cope with the cards he is dealt. It does seem a wee bit slow or uneventful at times in between the key points of action, but the poignant conversations and descriptions make up for this wonderfully.

The novel highlights the ways in which the Episcopal church is “deeply flawed” as it operates like a “feudal system” with distributed power, which often gets in the way of accomplishing anything. However, it underscores the advancements over the years to include more women, and the ongoing struggle for racial equality.

The conversations he has with Jess and with his peers reflect Amos’ more liberal beliefs (and I assume, the author’s as well!) and are candidly expressed. One of my favourites was:

“There is some scriptural support for condemning homosexuality, but you can argue that there is Biblical support for the subjugation of women or even slavery. […] Even if homosexuality is a sin, I can’t get worked up over it. It’s right up there with butt scratching, in my humble opinion.”

When Jess’ selfless act to aid a sick child has repercussions, Amos feels helpless as he cannot save him from the law. This leads to a series of events that unfold to unveil the seedy underbelly of faith-based care, which challenges Amos’ belief in his own religion when he sees other faiths showing more humanity in times of crisis.

I appreciated that despite the novel’s genre of Christian fiction, at no point does it feel overly “preachy” — the reader is guided to a balanced representation that evolves along with the main character. It was enlightening to see Amos knowingly fulfilling his part as a cog in the flawed machine of the Church, and then to later see the ways in which he chooses to be more active in influencing the changes he wishes to see. He showed significant growth by the story’s end — from a naive and idealistic priest, to a real leader worthy of the priesthood.

Conclusion

Overall, this was an interesting read and one I would recommend to others. The novel’s focus on deep, thought-provoking conversations will best suit a reflective reader who appreciates beautifully written prose that influences our own introspection. I will close with one of these that stayed with me:

[…] in most parishes about twenty percent of the parishioners carried the church […]. The remaining eighty percent simply attended on the occasional Sunday […] but wanted someone to baptize, confirm, marry, and then bury them. Religion was basically one of the many ornaments hanging from their tree of life.

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