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Please share your writing ideas, tips, articles, books, and reviews with me. looking to interview authors of all genres and to review children's books.
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BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the middle grade fiction Beyond the Lines by Claudia Whitsitt. The tour will run from September 6 - September 27, 2016.
About the Book
Title: Beyond the Lines |
Author: Claudia Whitsitt |
Publisher: Claudia Whitsitt
Publication Date: February 27, 2016 |
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction |
Number of Pages: 260
Book Description: The Dream Girls—Hattie, Crackers, and Beverly Jo—are back with the same determination and resolve they displayed in Between the Lines. This time, it's Crackers who has a dream. She has oodles of talent, can outshoot any guy, and she wants to be the first girl on the boys' basketball team. Everybody knows she's the best player at school. The problem is, the rules say: No girls allowed on the team. Ever. But the Dream Girls have challenged old-fashioned notions before, and they're not about to give up now. Beverly Jo rocks the world with an ingenious plan, Hattie sets the wheels in motion, and Crackers gives her all. For this threesome, nothing is impossible.
What others are saying...
"BEYOND THE LINES is a refreshing story of true friendship." - Lori (Amazon)
"A delightful story of true friendship" - David (Amazon)
"Great characters, superlative writing and the sense of being dropped into the mist of a Dream Girls meeting makes "Beyond The Lines" a wonderful book." - DJ (Amazon)
"Beyond the lines is a beautiful story of friendship." - (Amazon)
About the Author
Claudia Whitsitt spent a lifetime teaching special education and writing before becoming a full-time author. She believes in the power of friendship, small acts of kindness, and paying it forward. Nothing makes her happier than spending time with her children, which includes not only the five she raised but the countless students who touched her life over the years.
Blog Tour Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: September 27, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Claudia Whitsitt and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to
[email protected].
a Rafflecopter giveaway
BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the charming children's book written by Sandra L. Richards and illustrated by Megan Kayleigh Sullivan, Rice & Rocks. The tour will run from August 23 - September 13, 2016.
About the Book
Title: Rice & Rocksl |
Author: Sandra L. Richards |
Illustrator: Megan Kayleigh Sullivan
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing |
Publication Date: August 23, 2016
Genre: Children's Picture Book |
Number of Pages: 32
Book Description: Tradition takes flight in Rice & Rocks, a picture book celebrating culture and diversity. Giovanni's friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed he does not like 'rice and rocks' and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird. But his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue. She and Giovanni's pet parrot, Jasper, take him on a magical journey across the globe, visiting places where people eat rice and rocks. This exciting story celebrates the varied traditions of every culture while also highlighting the delicious similarities that bring us all together.
Take a look inside the book...
About the Author: Sandra L. Richards
Sandra L. Richards is the debut picture book author of Rice & Rocks. With Rice & Rocks, Sandra brings a unique contribution to the world of children’s books. An American-born daughter of Jamaican immigrant parents, she hopes the book will serve as an educational resource for families seeking to teach their children the value of their heritage and the importance of cultural diversity.
Learn more about Sandra at
www.sandralrichards.com.
About the Illustrator: Megan Kayleigh Sullivan
Megan Kayleigh Sullivan graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2012 with a degree in Illustration. She is currently working as a freelance illustrator and storyboard artist, and aspires towards a career in the film and animation industry as a concept artist, character designer, or visual development artist (or d., all of the above). She enjoys traveling, writing, telling stories, and hula-hooping.
Visit her at
www.357meg.com.
Blog Tour Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: September 13, 11:59 pm, 2016Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Sandra L. Richards and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to
[email protected].
a Rafflecopter giveaway
BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the young adult fantasy Children of Icarus written by Caighlan Smith. The tour will run from August 10 - August 24, 2016.
About the Book
Title: Children of Icarus |
Author: Caighlan Smith |
Publisher: Switch Press |
Publication Date: August 1, 2016 |
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy |
Number of Pages: 312
Book Description:
It's Clara who's desperate to enter the labyrinth and its Clara who's bright, strong, and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It's no surprise when she's chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end.
History and Inspiration Behind the Book
Since I was a wee kidlit, I’ve loved Greek Mythology. That love has only grown and nowadays heavily influences my writing, some more than others. Children of Icarus, my new novel, is counted among the “some”. The inspiration for this book was, of course, drawn from the myth of Icarus—the boy who flew into the sun. But a lot of the setting of the book comes from the myths about Icarus’ father, Daedalus, who built the labyrinth. Children of Icarus takes place within a labyrinth, which the main character has been chosen to enter. She was promised paradise should she find her way out of the labyrinth, but paradise seems more unlikely than ever as she’s forced to confront one horror after another. Many of said horrors have been inspired by Greek mythology, mainly the adorable monsters that populate every great hero’s tale.
The thing is, I had the idea for Children of Icarus back in junior high. The plot was different in every way back then, aside from the setting of the labyrinth. Even the protagonist was an older, altered version of the way she is now. I actually started writing the story back then, but barely got a page in before giving up and moving on to something else. Fast-forward many a year, and I’m studying Greek mythology for my Classics minor at university. It reminds me of that old idea I had, so I revisit it and decide to tell the story of how my protagonist ended up in the labyrinth. I started writing from there, and everything about the story changed. For the better. And now we have a book. Ta-da!
About the Author
Caighlan Smith was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland; Labrador on June 1st, 1994. She grew up in the scenic coastal community of St. Philip’s, overlooking the dramatic north-west Atlantic. As a kid, she loved to play in the woods around her house, loved to tell stories and believed in magic.
Caighlan, who is studying English, Classics and Creative Writing at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, is a supporter of universal girl-child education and has been involved with the Teachers Action for Girls campaign in Uganda.
Her great loves are reading, gaming and, of course, writing. The “C” in her name is hard, the “gh” is silent.
Blog Tour Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: August 24, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Caighlan Smith and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to
[email protected].
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The SockKids Say NO to Bullying by Michael John Sullivan, Alexandra Gold, and Shelley Larkin introduces young readers to SockKids Sudsy and Wooly, their mom Rainbow and baby sister, Sunni. Sudsy and Wooly accompany their human, Ethan, to school, where he meets a new girl, Olivia. Olivia seems like the nicest of friends anyone could want, plus she likes reading, also something Ethan enjoys doing. His attempts to get Olivia’s attention are disrupted by a bunch of bullies, kids who take delight in tearing up other kids’ books, kicking their school bags around, stealing their lunch money, and generally being obnoxious. Can Sudsy and Wooly join together to help Ethan out? Maybe, but first they’ll have to get him to take his socks off… What a charming story for young readers, and also one that parents could read aloud to young kids before bed time to help alleviate the perennial issue of bullying. I loved the colourful illustrations liberally included throughout to help young readers pay attention to the chain of events, as well as to relate to the characters, both human and … er… woollen. The characterisation is great, with the adorable SockKids coming up with inventive ideas to solve a problem that Ethan and Olivia encounter (rescuing a cat stuck in a tree!).
Something I think parents and teachers will appreciate are the various themes cleverly woven into the story: a sense of community, helping the less fortunate, working together for the good of others, friendship, love, loyalty, and standing up against what is wrong, or actions that hurt others. It takes courage to speak out and say “No” to bullying, but Ethan has the SockKids to help him. A very useful section at the end of the book is something I’d encourage parents, counsellors, and teachers to read as it discusses how to recognise and deal with bullying, giving guidelines for both adults and children. This is valuable information as bullying can happen on a number of levels and in different environments, not just at school.
I enjoyed the positive vibe the whole book exudes, with a joyful and enthusiastic approach to problems that children might feel they can’t solve on their own. And if you’ve ever wondered where the other half of your (perhaps several?) pairs of socks have disappeared to during the spin cycle, there is an answer here. I’d like to think that my socks that have gone missing over the years are off somewhere, fighting against bullying and helping youngsters to stand up for what is right!
Max’s Midnight Adventure by Wendy Leighton-Porter is a short, delightful story starring Max himself. Anyone who has been following the Shadows From the Past series will, by now, know a lot about Max. A lilac-coloured Tonkinese cat, big boned (definitely not fat), with aquamarine eyes, Max belongs to Jemima and Joe, the twins who’ve been staying with their Uncle Richard after their parents stepped into a magic book and disappeared. They’re not dead, and the twins know this because during their adventures back in time, using the magic book that belonged to their dad, they’ve either caught glimpses of their parents or heard news that they’re alive but have moved on in time. Uncle Richard, a professor of Archaeology and a bachelor, is at a loss as to how to entertain his niece and nephew, but he does his best. Uncle Richard suggests a holiday away down at the coast, in Devon, for a few days and the kids are very excited about the idea, as long as Max can come with. A holiday means suitcases and they’re in the attic, along with a whole bunch of old boxes, filled with the stuff one usually finds in attics – old toys, Christmas decorations, favourite stuffed animals that no one has the heart to throw out. Max, although short on courage, is long on curiosity and several close shaves during their time travel adventures have done little to diminish his nosiness. He follows Uncle Richard into the attic and does his own poking around. He’s astounded to see the twin’s uncle clutching a shabby old teddy bear and weeping over the loss of his brother, and realises that just because adults don’t say much doesn’t mean they don’t feel sadness. It’s all a bit much for Max who thinks a quick snoozette, while Uncle Richard is pottering about, is in order. As you can imagine, Uncle Richard finishes up in the attic and goes back downstairs, leaving Max curled up inside a box, but there’s someone else in the box as well… How is Max going to get out of the attic? Will he be left there while the kids and their uncle go on holiday?
I love author Wendy Leighton-Porter’s style. In just a few lines of dialogue we meet and get to know a variety of characters, from Colonel Nutcracker (a pompous regimental sort) to Tinkerbell (aka Stinkerbell) who is particularly nasty and sarcastic to poor old Max just because he broke her wand by accident (which could have happened to anyone!), to Action Man who can’t stop flexing his muscles and showing off, to the entire cast of The Twelve Days of Christmas … with the French hens going on strike, the nine ladies getting into a huddle with the football team, to absolute chaos and mayhem. This is a wonderful peep into Max’s life that affords lots of laughs, largely due to the inventiveness of the author, the hilarious interactions between the various characters, and the ultimate charm of Max, the big-hearted (albeit slightly cowardly) hero of the series.
Book 8 in the Shadows From the Past series: The Shadow of the Two Princes tackles one of the most intriguing historical mysteries – what happened to the two princes in the Tower of London? Jemima, Joe, and their friend Charlie could probably tell you, as could Max, their talking Tonkinese cat. The story begins on a sombre note that pervades the entire plot, as atmospheric and as creepy as the dank fog that lingers along the banks of the River Thames. Jemima wakes from a terrible dream, a cry for help from a boy, but was it a dream, or was it truly a cry for help that stretched across the chasm of time to reach her ears? And there’s mention of an Uncle Richard who might kill someone. But their Uncle Richard was the kindest, sweetest man imaginable, the perfect uncle, with whom the twins and Max had been living since their parents disappeared a few months earlier. When their Uncle Richard shows them a newspaper article with details of Richard Plantagenet, King Richard III, who was supposed to have murdered his two nephews in the Tower of London, Jemima is convinced there’s a link. The princes need their help, but will their magic book take them back to that date in time, to 1483, and will they be able to save the princes. After all, as they have learned before, you can’t change history…  |
| Earliest surviving portrait of Richard III |
Atmosphere, mystery, and intrigue abound in this tale as the twins, Max, and Charlie tumble headfirst into an adventure. Actually Max and Joe tumble headfirst into the Thames and have to be rescued from drowning by Doctor Argentine, who turns out to be the princes’ physician. An intriguing plot unfolds regarding the rescue of the two princes, with the help of everyone, including Max. Although not required to wear an elaborate disguise, as had happened to poor old Max in previous adventures, Max is pivotal by just being his handsome, special self. In fact he’s so handsome and special he even attracts the attention of Richard, then still the Duke of Gloucester. Well, they do say that even a cat may look at a king…
Max finds out more about a greater role the kids and their parents might play from Corbet, a raven (disguised as one, I should say), who introduces the detail of The Guardians of Time (first mentioned in Max’s Christmas Adventure). Some funny word play ensues which results in Max discovering he is not an “Animal of Time,” but sheds light on why the twins’ parents have disappeared! The secondary characters are as memorable as the main players and are as important in their own way. Plenty of clues abound, with many nail-biting moments of tension and terror, and young time travellers, history buffs, and adventurers will love every word. Young readers will also appreciate the way the author conveys the fear, the fright experienced by the young princes. Although this is a dark moment in history, I found the young heroes – Joe, Jemima and Charlie – able to cope with and empathise with the events. They are also maturing as the series progresses.
I have always been intrigued by the story of the two princes, but found English history, the names and titles, and royal family relationships a bit confusing. Under the skilled pen of the author, all confusion is cleared up. Wendy Leighton-Porter manages to untangle complex historical threads and effortlessly weaves them into a very readable tale. The discovery of the historical Richard’s remains in 2012 also adds a touch of reality to the story, making the character seem more substantial. In addition, with new details arising about the ill-fated king, one wonders if he was all that bad. Even Jemima, who meets him, wonders about that. Was the maligned Richard as much of a villain as history has painted him? However, as always, author Wendy Leighton-Porter does not whitewash the facts of history, although in this case the fate of the princes remains something of a mystery. Even if history can’t be changed, might it be tweaked? In the end the kids learn that sometimes people don’t do as they are advised… The series is a wonderful gift for avid young readers and even more so for any reluctant young reader who has to be coaxed into the pages of a book.
BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Bl ast for the children's adventure book written by P.T. Evans, Emoji Adventures V olume 1: The Horse Party. The blast will run June 20 - June 22, 2016.
About the Book
Title: Emoji Adventures Volume 1: The Horse Part y |
Author: P.T. Evans |
Genre: Children's Adventure |
Number of Pages: 108 |
Publisher: Montage Publishing |
Publication Date: February 21, 2016
Book Description: OBSESSED WITH EMOJIS?
LOL with your favorite emojis as they come to life in this fun, new series. Follow Annie with the constant smile; Kevin, her devilish brother; Bi lly, poop head and BFF; and Dot, the love-struck jock as they make their way through Emoji Elementary.
What others have to say about the book...< br />
"I LOVE this book! The dialogue is witty (and LOL funny ); the characters are endearing; and the theme is universally sweet. The author h as created a unique experience, blending modern inventions of emojis with cla ssic lessons for kids (and, truly, all of us). It would make a fun read-aloud as well! D efinitely a winner." - Robin (Amazon)
"This book is darling! My girls fell in love with Annie a nd her emoji buddies! We can't wait for the next installment so we can laugh and ke ep on reading!!!" - Amazon Reviewer
"The Emoji Adventures combines things that a lot of kid s love- silly characters, fun storylines and emojis!" - Amazon Reviewer
Montage Publishing Summer Reading Program
"We at
Montage Publishing are committed to creating quality books for childr en; as parents and educators, we ’ re also aware of the academic backslide that can happen during summer. We ’ ve created some worksheets, a reading log, and a certific ate of achievement to be used alongside our EMOJI ADVENTURES series.&nb sp; Feel free to use them as they are or adapt them to your specific needs .
To further encourage summer reading, we ’ re having a drawing for two sets of EMOJI ADVENTURES books – one for the winning student; one for his/her library."
To print worksheets and enter the drawing visit
montagepublishing.com. About the Author: P.T. Evans
P.T. Evans has been writing books for children under various names for two decades. With seventeen novels, numerous author visits, and stat e reading awards, Evans' books have been translated into two dozen languages.
Book Blast Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: July 4, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Raffle copter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSA RY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be ra ndomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a n ew winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated wi th Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, P.T. Evans and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional ques tions feel free to send an email to
[email protected].
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Bl ast for the middle grade fantasy written by P.H.T. Bennet, Raising Sleeping Ston es (The Orora Crona Chronicles, Book One). The blast will run June 20 - June 22, 2016.
About the Book
Title: Raising Sleeping Stones (The Orora Crona Chronicles, Book One) |
Author: P.H.T. Bennet
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy |
Number of Pa ges: 364 |
Publisher: DreamKeeper Publishing
Publication Date: December 4, 2014
Book Description: ***Winner of a 2013 Newbury C omics Award!***
Wh en sisters Kiva and DeeDee Stone discover a mysterious plot that threatens them and everything they care about, they have to take a crash course in the ancient art of DreamKeeping to survive. As two elder DreamKeepers lead them up the Varruvyen river to the Eyle of Return, they show the girls how to gain drea m powers greater than anything they had ever imagined. But can they become strong e nough to face the monsters that haunt their dreams at night, strong enough to fight the enemies that draw nearer each day? The answer lies somewhere in the bro ken history of Orora Crona, the Valley of Dreams lost centuries ago, and whoever can piec e it together first will rule for centuries to come.
Read an excerpt...
Kiva looked closely at the sun ’ s golden face. Wavy rays representing shimmering heat radiated out from it. Its cheeks were plump, the lips f ull and curved, the nose wide, and the eyes were a little almond-shaped, like hers. In the m iddle of its forehead was a weird circle with six curving parts swirling around a six-pointed st ar. She ’ d never seen the sun drawn like that. Wondering what was on the back of the pendant , Kiva turned it over.
The instant she saw the moon ’ s closed eyes, her hair flew back in the wind, her stomac h dropped, and she was pressed back against the cushions of a ves sel that was flying just inches above the river. She jerked her head back up and foun d she was in the back of a crescent-shaped boat piloted by an old man sitting up front. She was about to call out to him when he pointed at a tree that had fallen across the ri ver and shouted, “ When you get here, you must take a detour that even old Jacques didn ’ t know about! Hold on! ”
Before she could, though, he turned the boat around so quickl y that Kiva was thrown against the side of her boat and the wind was knocked out of her. She only got her breath back when he straightened out and followed the river back do wn.
“ Look there! ” he shouted moments later . “ Turn right between the tall twins! ”
Watch the book video...</ifram e> <div> <strong><br /></strong> <strong>What others have to say...</strong><br /> <strong><br /></strong></div> <div> </div> <div> <em>"Raising Sleeping Stones is a beautiful visual/musical tale about confidence and creative thinking."</em> - Stephanie R. (Amazon)<br /> <br /> <em>"Great adventure tale that is both coming- of -age story and testimony to the power of dreams." </em>- Thomas G. (Amazon)<br /> <br /> <em>"I was enthralled by this book from beginning to end. Tr uly connected with the intent and purpose behind the story, as well as the strong co ncept of dealing with dreams. I would definitely recommend this app..."</em> - Amazon Reviewe r<br /> <br /> <em>"Both allegorically and psychologically the author def tly explores the richness of young people's emotional lives. I read this story both in its app form and on Kindle. The book is beautifully illustrated and in its app form adds a gre at sound track. A wonderful book!"</em> - Edward D. (Amazon) <br /> <br /></div> <div> </div> <h 3 style="text-align: center;"> About the Author: P.H.T. Bennet</h3> <div> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="PHTBennet" class=" wp-image-573 aligncenter" heig ht="245" src="https://beachboundbooksblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/phtbennet.jpg" width="368" /> </div> <br /> P.H.T. Bennet began exploring his dreams when he was a child a nd has never bothered to stop. He had the good luck to have two daughters, Juliette and Pao la, who not only served as the inspirations for DeeDee and Kiva, the main charact ers of Raising Sleeping Stones, but also helped him turn their family dreamwork sessions into this book. His lucky streak grew when he married his lovely wife, Mim, who tolerates his turning on a light in the middle of the night to write down ever-crazier dreams and t alking about them in the morning as long as he lets her sleep in, first. His favo rite dreams involve flying, visiting the dead, and replaying nightmares until they reveal their secrets.<br /> <br /> Pratt ’ s latest projects are editing Book Two of the Orora Cron a Chronicles and planning a virtual summer dreaming camp with other dream authors. <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <strong><a href="http://raisingstones.com/" target="_blank">W ebsite</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/phtbennet" target="_blank">Twitter< /a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23689207-raising-sleeping-st ones" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></strong></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <h3 style="text-align: center;"> Book Blast Giveaway</h3> <div> <br /></div> <strong>Prize:</strong> One winner will receive a $25 Am azon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice <strong>Giveaway ends:</strong> July 4, 11:59 pm, 2016 <strong>Open to: </strong>Internationally <strong>How to enter:</strong> Please enter using the Raffle copter widget below. <strong>Terms and Conditions:</strong> NO PURCHASE NECESSA RY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be ra ndomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a n ew winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associate d with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, P.H.T. Bennet and i s hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional ques tions feel free to send an email to
[email protected].<br /> <br /> <a class="rcptr" data-raflid="9a593a30212" data-template="" data-th eme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9a593a30212/" id="rcwidge t_00txt8jo" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br /> <br /> <img alt="7f634-8682618_orig" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96" he ight="184" src="https://beachboundbooksblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/7f634- 8682618_orig.jpg" width="231" />
BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Bl ast for the charming children's book written by Sharon Durgin and illustrated by Jo an Coleman, Marty and the Christmas Eve Surprise. The blast will run June 7 - J une 9, 2016.
About the Book
Title: Marty and the Christmas Eve Surpris e | Author: Sharon Durgin | Illustrator: Joan Co leman Genre: Children's Holiday Book | Publisher: BookLogi x | Expected Release: May 24, 2016
Book Description:
Marty is a little mouse who has lots of fun with his f riends as they get ready for Christmas. But when the house cats get involved, you can ex pect a little bit of mischief. Can Marty save the day in time for Christmas?
Take a peek inside the book...
About the Author: Sharon Durgin
Sharon E. Durgin is a designer in the engineering business and an active member of Toastmasters International. With her love of the spoke n and written word she has created Marty and the Christmas Eve Surprise. This is her first book, and she looks forward to publishing more stories of Marty's life. Sharon has two adult children and lives and works in Greenville, South Carolina.
Book Blast Giveaway
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card
or
$25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: June 21, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Raffle copter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WI N. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn t hrough the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the wi nner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Fa cebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Sharon Durgin and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel f ree to send an email to
[email protected].
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Midnight Owl is the first book in the Joe Leverette Mystery Series. Don’t get too comfortable because the book starts off with a real bang. The action erupts on page one as a young woman is stalked. We, the readers, get to watch her death by dismemberment. That’s right, dismemberment. So if you’re looking for a sweet little murder mystery with a Miss Marple lookalike pottering around, think again. This is not it. The body is cut into six parts, and these parts are found by six individuals, completely unrelated to each other or the victim. The problem is, each ‘witness’ has had a horrible dream involving seeing the criminal kill the young woman. The body part they dream about is the one they find. They awaken to the sound of an owl hooting three times. Naturally, they don’t tell the police this because they’d be thought mad or even suspects. An even bigger problem is the killer is now going after these ‘witnesses’ and he manages to kill two. Detective Joe Leverette, who is assigned to the case, finds himself (hesitantly) attracted to one of the witnesses, Carole Sage, who is a ‘sensitive,’ meaning she can see the original murder and the murders of the two witnesses. The police sting set up to catch the killer fails, but is Carole next on his list? Well, put aside your chores because you’ll just read and read and read (as I did) until you fall off the edge of the cliff. There’s no cliff-hanger in the conventional sense. The book ends with the reader going, “Oh no, don’t end now!” I’m a bit of a cosy mystery fan so this one had my hair standing on end. I love things that are slightly paranormal, but not outside the bounds of what could happen. I found the idea of the dreams and Carole’s psychic abilities fascinating. I also found the fact that the chief of police accepted her help in this regard quite refreshing. I wonder how many times a psychic has pointed out the location of a body to the police.
The book is quite graphic, but when you consider some novels and television series that make sure the reader/viewer is awash in blood and gore, I didn’t think this level of action overstepped the bounds. Murder, after all, is a bloody business and to commit cold, premediated murder, one has to be a particularly horrible person. I was disappointed that the book ended so abruptly, literally at the moment critique, but I have it on good authority that the author is writing furiously to continue the tale. I’m dying to know who the killer is, why the ‘witnesses’ had dreams, what’s the meaning of the owl hooting, so I’m eagerly waiting for the next in the series. I didn’t feel I got to know as much about Joe Leverette as I’d have liked, but that’s what sequels are for, and I hope the author expands on his character and back story. I’m also rooting for a romance between him and Carole. If you’re a murder mystery or detective thriller fan, you’ll love this book. Five stars.
Dragons Are Real, written by Valarie Budayr and illustrated by Michael Welply, is a must-have for dragon aficionados the world over. Inside this amazing book is a grand revelation: dragons ARE real. Much maligned over the centuries through myth and legend (and made up stories!), the dragon is not the tyrannical, fire-breathing monster who kidnaps damsels in distress and gobbles them up with mustard and ketchup. No, the true dragon is a humble, gentle friend to all, with amazing qualities that would make anyone want to be his comrade for life. They love to laugh, so you can always give them a good tickle, and they particularly enjoy riddles. The author offers a unique riddle inside the book, one that is guaranteed to secure your lifelong friendship with a dragon. They love reading and (contrary to popular opinion held usually by banks and kings in their counting houses) the dragon prefers to hoard books, rather than gold treasure. You see? A very different picture of the dragon begins to emerge. They love to dance and have fun. Masters of disguise, they can become anything you want, for example if you feel like rolling down a lush green hillside, just for fun. The dragon is an amazing and incredible creature and this book reveals the true nature and excellent qualities of dragons.
This is an absolutely beautiful book. I received a pdf copy and would have loved a print copy because the design and illustrations are just outstanding. This is a book for children to keep, to linger over and treasure, not only for the amazing images, but because the detail within each page keeps the reader there. The dragons’ expressions, the fine detail, the very ‘aliveness’ of each illustration had me spellbound. I loved the dragon being a master of disguise, and particularly appreciated the intricacies of the dragon’s study, filled with books, and with a tiny resident mouse also engrossed in a miniature volume. I cannot praise this book more highly and I feel really privileged to have read it. I wish it could be animated, so as to enjoy these amazing dragons and the beautiful details even more. Congratulations to the author and illustrator for a work of art. I spent time on each page and I’d encourage parents to do the same when reading this with their kids. An excellent message, besides all the lovely ones about the good and noble qualities of dragons, is that reading is something to bring enjoyment; it’s a doorway to a magical world, as this stunning book amply proves.
Al: The Story of a Vegetarian T-Rex by Ron Stoltz is a very different kind of dinosaur story … because Al is a very different kind of dinosaur. You see, Al is a vegetarian, something that’s unheard of in the carnivore community where everyone likes to eat meat. Al loves veggies and fruit, especially strawberries. He doesn’t even mind if a couple of bugs have taken a few bites out of the strawberries. The other kids laugh at him and think he is weird, but Al sticks to his choices. His parents are so concerned about Al’s eating habits that they send him to his aunt who is a great cook. She whips him up some Stegosaurus steaks, but it’s a no go, Al won’t eat it. His aunt gives up on him and sends him home. En route, a storm brews and all the lightning, thunder, and rain force the T-Rex kids to take shelter in the school. A huge tree falls over, blocking their escape. What can they do? Amazingly, Al has the answer, an answer that turns him into a hero. What a delightful story for young readers! The illustrations are absolutely fantastic and bring the scenes to life on every page. Al is a truly lovable character that young readers will relate to and cheer on, especially when it comes to being a hero. The messages are subtle yet strong – it’s perfectly acceptable to be different, to make choices that determine your path in life, and to stick to your beliefs, even when the pressure is on from family members and friends. With many families eschewing meat products for various reasons, the child who may have felt uncertain will now be reassured that not eating meat is fine, if that’s what you want. This is perfect for parents and teachers to read aloud to kids, and to put on various voices and/or sound effects where necessary. An absolutely five-star read for the family.
Patch Goes to Hong Kong is the second adventure that Patch, an intrepid Jack Russell, undertakes. His first adventure took him to London where he solved a mystery using clues given to him all throughout his journey. Patch’s new adventure starts right away when the mailman delivers a package … a wooden chest that Patch must open using the golden key on his collar. Inside he finds a ticket to … Hong Kong! Whoopee! A new adventure. Patch is so excited. What will he discover on this trip? The first of the clues appears while he is on the plane; a bracelet with a Buddha pendant. As Patch is led from one exciting and interesting place to another, he receives more clues from various dogs, taking him along on his journey. Each place he stops at is a famous tourist site, so he learns a bit more about Hong Kong with each stop. At last he reaches his final destination and meets … a very special person. Who can it be? Patch Goes to Hong Kong by Anjalique Gupta is simply an adorable, five-star book for young readers. First, the cover and illustrations by Alexandra Gold are just superb, vivid, and do justice to the interesting places Patch visits. I loved them and young readers will have much to appreciate when they take their time over each page. The map at the very beginning is a wonderful idea because young readers can trace Patch’s journey as they read, and see where each place is in relation to each other. Maps are also such fun! This book is a great learning experience for young readers because there’s so much for them to investigate once they have read the story, such as the various kinds of dogs Patch meets, and the cultural aspects of Hong Kong such as the market place and the Dragon festival, and different kinds of food. The illustrations are so detailed and incorporate lots of traditional cultural elements as well. This charming tale of adventure and travel also includes subtle messages about family, love, communication, and caring. Just reading about where Patch visits, what he sees and does will inspire young readers to want to pack their suitcases and have an adventure of their own. The good news is that at the very end of the story we get a hint of where Patch might be going next…
I’ve read all Cheryl Carpinello’s books and have enjoyed them very much, particularly the Arthurian themed stories. I asked Cheryl what started her writing on Arthuriana.
Cheryl: I’ve always loved Arthurian Legend, but it wasn’t until I taught high school English that I learned the value of the Legend. I would have students that refused to read the literature I assigned. When we when to the library to get reading books, these students stood by the book shelves, thumbed through several books, and returned them to the shelf. When the unit on King Arthur begin, I started off by asking my students to share what they already knew about Arthur. My non-readers usually had their hands up first! Over the course of the unit (3-4 weeks), these students who didn’t read, scrambled to get their hands on stories, books, and movies before anyone else. The first year this happened I was stunned. After about the 4th year in a row, I realized I had discovered the figurative ‘sword in the stone that propelled these students to read. I loved it!
Book review of The King’s Ransom: When the King’s Ransom, a wondrous jewelled medallion, is stolen from Pembroke Castle in Wales, it is up to three young heroes to band together to solve this mystery and save a life. Prince Gavin (12), the youngest son of King Wallace and Queen Katherine, and his two friends, Philip (13), an orphan, and Bryan (15), a blacksmith’s apprentice, are an unlikely trio, uneven in terms of social status, but firm and loyal companions. Their friend, the Wild Man, is accused of murdering the king’s advisor and stealing the marvellous medallion, a symbol of absolute power and justice, but only in the right hands. Kings have enemies, and it soon becomes apparent that someone was after the medallion for the prestige it would bestow. Gavin, Bryan, and Philip race against time to find the medallion, reveal the true killer, and save the Wild Man’s life. They have only a few days before the arrival of King Arthur. If the medallion is not found, the Wild Man will be executed in front of Arthur. Can they overcome their fears and fulfil this momentous quest? Is it possible the Wild Man has tricked them all and simply used their friendship to get closer to the medallion? What a delightful five-star story. I am familiar with Cheryl Carpinello’s writing from reading and reviewing her first Arthurian book, Guinevere: On the Eve of a Legend. Then I was entranced by the author’s spell-binding descriptions of life in Arthurian times and her meticulous attention to detail. Cheryl’s skills have remained as bright as ever with the unfolding of this fast-paced tale, threaded with mystery, adventure, a bit of magic, danger, darkness, and lovely twists in the end. I so enjoyed the factual information about weapons, clothing, daily life, and places, cleverly interspersed in the text and dialogue to inform without overwhelming young readers. The author has a gift for delving into the depths of each young hero’s psyche. The way each one of the trio faces their fears, learns to believe in themselves, and finds their true meaning and path in life is moving. This is a superb coming-of-age story, set in a time of chivalry and pageantry, and harking back to an age when a hero was truly a hero.
Fans will love that there is a FREE Study Guide to help expand their knowledge of King Arthur and his era. You can find out more about Cheryl’s books here.
Could anything bad possibly happen in a small, pretty town in New Hampshire? Of course not, but then maybe it could. Olivia McKenna, an antiques buyer for her collector clients, inadvertently stumbles upon a murder in an antiques shop, and thereafter becomes a target for someone who might just be the murderer. But why? Olivia hasn’t seen anything that could make a killer worried. Or has she? And what about the poor old man who met his demise, the poor old man who turns out to have had a criminal past… Olivia crosses paths with handsome detective Josh Abrams, who also has a few secrets he’s keeping under wraps. Join Josh and Olivia, and not forgetting Molly, Olivia’s adorable (and clever) Golden Retriever, and Sheyna, the cat Olivia rescued from the scene of the crime, as they try to solve the murder before anyone else gets hurt.
If you like antiques and love a readable, cosy murder mystery, look no further than Antiques and Avarice by author Jane Firebaugh. I found myself drawn into the story, the beautifully described locale, and the characters, both main and secondary. Olivia is a spunky heroine with backbone, not needing a man to take care of her. Josh is a totally swoonworthy hero, the kind of man every woman would love to date: handsome, courteous, considerate, romantic, just delicious. Through appealing details, the author lets the daily activities of her characters unfold, giving the reader a bird’s-eye view of their lives and motivations. The plot is nicely done and the reader does not get tangled up in too many red herrings or false leads. A lot happens and there’s a strong back story of robbery, fraud, and corruption which will surprise readers. I only wish the author had included the recipes for some of the mouth-watering dishes the characters tuck into as the story progresses. I got hungry every time they had a meal!
On 4 November, 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter and his team discovered a tomb in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, a tomb that he and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, weren’t even sure existed. It was the tomb of a little known king, a young man who’d taken the throne at around eight or nine, and had died around age 18: Tutankhamen. The young king, whose obscurity during his own time allowed his tomb to be forgotten, has now become one of the most well-known figures of ancient Egypt. But what do we know about the young king and his unexpected death at such an early age? What do we know about how he lived, how he felt about things like duty, responsibility and obligation, his emotions and opinions, his family life, and his love for his wife, Ankhesenpaaten? The mystery begins right away! Author Cheryl Carpinello, an ardent Egyptophile, reveals that one day she met the Egyptian scholar S.L. Wood, who mentioned that he’d found an ancient scroll, damaged in parts, in a basement room of the Cairo Museum. This appeared to be a scroll written by the young king, almost speaking to his people from beyond the grave. Was it a hoax? Did this scroll even exist? Read on to find out what the young king says in Tutankhamen Speaks. Cheryl Carpinello has an extraordinary gift for being able to breathe life into what could be dry and dusty facts about people who, to the average person, are just names in a history book. Through wonderful, evocative and poignant descriptions, she takes us back in time to when a young boy lived in ancient Egypt, a boy who was in awe of his great father, and loved his half-sister Ankhesenpaaten. His memories of early childhood, descriptions of daily life in ancient times, his growing up years, the games he played, the ceremonies and, of course, the politics and religion are all examined for the interested reader. The author also includes interesting facts that readers may not be aware of, so interesting that these might quite change your thoughts of ancient Egyptian times and rulers. This is a wonderful read for all ages, and at the end of this short book, you’ll be left like me, wanting more. I truly enjoyed this! Five stars.
“Discoverability” is the word on every author’s lips as they try to get their books into the spotlight, making readers aware of their new releases and hoping for reviews and of course sales. With so many books being released every day, getting noticed is a huge and sometimes seemingly insurmountable problem. Since I released my first multi award winning Middle Grade adventure, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab in 2009, I have tried many and varied forms of marketing. I have wasted some money, gained some success, and learned lots of lessons in this journey. Just recently I have had great results with ‘teams.’ You may wonder how an author can use a team. Well, doing all your own marketing is impossible, since it takes up so much time that the author finds they are doing more marketing than writing the next book. I tumbled to the idea of teams quite by accident, but patience, persistence, and using teams is paying off. Here are the five team marketing methods that work for me: 1. Team Twitter: Although Twitter blasts are good and do have an effect, having a consistent Twitter presence thanks to someone who does it for you, and has their followers tweet your news, is really very useful. I use @bookboost, although there are many around, and was surprised to find the price so reasonable and the Twitter reach so far. I also use AskDavid if I have special book news to announce. 2. Team Authors: A while ago I noticed two authors writing in Middle Grade with similar themes (Egyptian, Arthurian, Ancient World), but oddly enough, we did not overlap and therefore were not competition for each other. Besides, we figured that young readers who love Egyptian or Arthurian themes were going to read all the books they could find, so why not team up and offer lots of books under one roof. Wendy Leighton-Porter, Cheryl Carpinello and I formed The Quest Books, where we have grouped all our similarly themed books for young readers to enjoy. We have a newsletter and offer free downloads, so the site works for all of us. 3. Team Blog Hosts: Initially I went on loads of book tours, with definitely chequered results. Some tours were wildly successful, catering specifically to the parents of Middle Grade readers, while others were a mix masala and I found my book shoved in between other books, such as thrillers/detectives, fantasy and romances, that I felt did not give me a target market audience. Through trial and error I have now fine tuned my blog tours to very specific hosts who only deal with the children’s/juvenile fiction genre. Getting to a specific market offers better results because you are approaching an audience eager to find out more about your particular books.
4. Team Facebook: As in joining up with my fellow Quest authors, I also found myself part of a shared Facebook page based on a group of authors who produced an anthology of kids’ stories for fundraising purposes, Book Elves Anthology Volume 1. From the anthology, came the Facebook page and Book Elves has become a great way for the burden of marketing to be shared among other authors, who also post their news. It is just a click a day to share news with page followers and since other authors are doing the same, the marketing results benefit everyone. 5. Street Team: I had never heard of a street team in relation to book marketing, but have now engaged with a wonderful team where the news is shared on the various team members’ Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social sites. It is a reasonable fee and my only hard work is to keep the team leader up to date with anything I am doing, such as blog posts, book tours, award wins, anything newsworthy that the team members can share to their friends and followers.
There is no get rich and famous quick scheme, but rather a consistent presence reaps the right kind of results. Teaming up with the right people for the right fee spreads the burden of marketing and gives the author a chance to get back to what they are supposed to be doing … writing their next book!
If you’re looking for more adventures, then please visit The Quest Books, where Middle Grade authors Cheryl Carpinello, Wendy Leighton-Porter and I have teamed up to offer readers an array of exciting quests. Sign up for our monthly newsletter with exciting exclusive material and get a fantastic e-book, Passport to Adventure, FREE!
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| Charming Oxford! |
Before I started writing I used to wonder what inspired writers, where did their ideas come from, what could have sparked their story. Interestingly, and something many people already know, my first book The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, was sparked by a family trip to Egypt with my mom and my two young nephews. When I’d written the story of my young heroes’ adventures, I realised they hadn’t had time to save the world yet. Another adventure was needed. But what and where could they go? Like many people I am sure, I am a huge Arthurian fan. I then happened to accompany a relative on a tour of Scotland’s castles, but before we went off to discover them, we stopped off at Oxford, England, also a favourite city of mine. 
Scotland was marvellous and I came back with all sorts of images and ideas floundering around in my head, but nothing concrete. By then I’d decided my adventure had to include King Arthur and his famed sword Excalibur (where perhaps one would find a Stone of Power embedded in the hilt?), and I so loved Oxford that I had to somehow have my young heroes go there as well. But how was I to marry all these elements together? I am a big Inspector Morse fan and one night I watched an episode called The Wolvercote Tongue, a story about the discovery of a Dark Ages artefact, a jewelled belt buckle, and it involved the Ashmolean Museum (also a favourite!). I woke up in the middle of the night with the plot of The Search for the Stone of Excalibur complete in my head. Of course you’ll have to read the book to enjoy the story, but here’s a little teaser.Continuing the adventure that began in Egypt a few months prior in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archaeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur. However, their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete. Time is running out as the confluence of the planets draws closer. Can Justin and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive?
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| Fairytale Dunrobin Castle |
Somehow I managed to find space for not only the museum, but also the prettiest castle in Scotland, Dunrobin Castle, which fitted the bill perfectly for the old castle in the book. I had visited and already decided to squeeze in the best ruined chapel around, Rosslyn Chapel, just filled with incredible and mysterious architecture. I am still amazed at what inspires a writer, be it an image, an event, a place, an experience.
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| Mysterious Rosslyn Chapel |
If you’re looking for more adventures, then please visit The Quest Books, where Middle Grade authors Cheryl Carpinello, Wendy Leighton-Porter and I have teamed up to offer readers an array of exciting quests. Sign up for our monthly newsletter with exciting exclusive material and get your choice of any e-book on the site FREE!
Why Bublish? And what is Bublish? Bublish is a platform that turns an author in an ‘authorpreneur,’ giving them a dashboard with powerful marketing and book creation tools. I first heard of Bublish when looking for a marketing strategy for my middle grade children’s adventures. I already had a publisher, but I wanted an extra boost for marketing. There are loads of ‘book marketing sites’ out there. I have tried a number of these sites, where you load a profile and book details, and I was initially hesitant, but something different about Bublish attracted my attention. The idea of creating ‘bubbles’ or interesting snippets from various chapters that I could share on social media, encouraging readers to follow the bubbles back to the books on purchase sites, appealed to me. Bublish also markets for authors who sign up, so another plus. In my experience, many social book sites have the social share buttons, but the authors must do their own marketing. As many indie authors (and traditionally published ones) know, you have to do your own marketing. Finding the time to write and market is difficult. With Bublish, you get someone also doing the marketing with you! What a bonus! Bublish offers an author a dashboard to load their profile, their completed books, even work in progress books, and links to sales sites. An author can basically do anything on their dashboard, from actually writing the books to marketing their books. Plus, in case one is still not convinced, the first month is free to test drive the system, and thereafter a very small monthly fee is charged. The more an author markets their own ‘bubbles’, which Bublish then also markets, the more successful one is likely to be.
Right off, I saw a huge difference in earnings and sales rankings. With Bublish, their mission is ‘E-book Author Discovery & Promotion.’ But that’s not all, they do it with you. Whereas previously my romance book marketing had been mostly up to me (so I didn’t do much of it, hence poor sales), with Bublish the load is shared. Bublish retweets an author’s ‘bubbles’ onto their social media sites, so any author is getting double exposure. Here’s a sample of a book bubble from my romance author profile. In addition, Bublish has a weekly ‘floating bookstore’ showcasing various authors and their work. Their aim is to help authors build a dynamic brand that drives sales. Apart from the FAQ and many tutorials to guide authors, as well as webinars with top marketers in publishing, Team Bublish is always on hand to answer any queries. There are so many other options for the marketing minded author, such as tracking reader engagement, tracking click through to sales, and keeping up with what bubbles you shared got the most response. Promotion and finding out just how much your effort generated has never been so easy. 
For me, never having taken my romance books all that seriously because they did not seem to be selling well, the move to Bublish as a distributor for those titles has been the best thing I ever did. Any author will tell you that while one should, yes, be writing for the love of it, we all want to see results; we’d all love to get some money for our efforts. I have been blown away by my romance books’ sales. Truly blown away. But it’s not just about putting books up on Amazon and other sites; it’s about consistently creating interesting ‘packages’ or sales drives, and price drops and ‘free days’ to generate consumer interest and reap the rewards. Bublish has come up with seasonal promotions for my books set either over Valentine or Christmas. A box set is something I never thought of as appealing, but they are, and I have seen wonderful sales figures.
But wait! There’s more! Bublish is now offering a host of AuthorServices for the indie author on a budget, from cover design to copy editing to distribution. Bublish has authors covered from every angle. I am totally sold on Bublish. Check out my Fiona Ingram profile as well as my Arabella Sheraton profile. Now that I can see incredible results, I am inspired to get more books written asap. If you’re looking for a marketing/distribution partner to get your titles out there and into the hands of readers, try Bublish. Remember, the first month is free.
Frankie’s fourth adventure, Frankie Dupont and the High Seas Heist, should surprise readers following his exploits because it takes place not on home turf, but on board ship. Frankie is sharing his eleventh birthday with his dad’s fiftieth at Enderby Manor (where else?) when a surprise invitation arrives. A mysterious invitation, accompanied by extraordinarily delicious chocolates, arrives from a Madame Marie Fontaine for Frankie’s dad to investigate a case on board the cruise ship La Fontaine Chocolat. Once they’d scoffed the chocs and read the invite carefully, including the suggestion to bring the family and Sherlock as well for cover, a decision must be made – the ship is leaving shortly. Frankie’s Mum keeps to her arrangement to visit her sister in London, while the foursome to fill the VIP tickets are Frankie, his dad, his cousin Kat and friend Amy (plus Sherlock!). The plot thickens when, once on board ship, Frankie and his group find out that the invitation, originally for Mr. Dupont, had been altered to include the others, and was actually sent by Madame Fontaine’s granddaughter, Madeleine. Despite this little hiccup, the fact remains that Madame Fontaine’s secret recipe for her fantastic chocolate is under threat. People have been known to steal recipes and it appears that Madame Fontaine is about to be robbed of her chocolate secret by the infamous Emmaline Legrand. This recipe is worth millions. Emmaline and her brother have already stolen several famous chocolate recipes. On board the cruise ship, now sailing to Antarctica, are around twenty well known chocolatiers. Any of them might be the unscrupulous thieves. Frankie and Co. have about a week to discover the identity of the thieves since that is when the ship reaches Antarctica and the unveiling of a chocolate replica of the ship takes place. Much is at stake and can Frankie discover the culprits before it’s too late?
This is certainly a different kind of adventure and taking Frankie out of his comfort zone creates a rather unusual kind of read. Battling sea sickness at first, as well as not having all his best gadgets to hand, Frankie is still able to start piecing together the numerous clues and mystifying details that come to light. The descriptions of the chocolate are mouth-watering and will have young readers wishing they could be on board with Frankie. Of course there are interesting little snippets of real science interspersed that inform young readers and add to advancing the plot. Frankie’s brain is working on full speed ahead as, using proper detective techniques, he manages to tie up the loose ends and also solve a secondary mystery to do with their new friend Madeleine. A wonderful action scene forms the climax and kids will love how amazingly all the clues fall into place and the mystery is solved. Another fantastic read for budding detectives and junior sleuths from Julie Anne Grasso.
Catch up with budding detective Frankie Dupont in the third adventure that this young sleuth investigates and hopefully solves. In Frankie Dupont and the Science Fair Sabotage, Frankie is holding the fort at the Dupont Detective Agency while Mum and Dad are off at an Awards Ceremony. His cousin Kat and friend Amy are desperately trying to get hold of him: something has happened at the Science Fair being held at (yep, you guessed it!) the by now notorious Enderby Manor. Can Frankie ever forget his first encounter there…? Amy’s brothers, the annoying twins Angus and Archie, inform Frankie that someone has stolen the robotic chip for their recycled robot in the Sustainable Science Fair. Sabotage! Someone sent an image of a note to Amy on her smartphone, using an app that makes the image disappear in seconds. The note said: “Dose of your own medicine.” There are big prizes up for grabs at the Science Fair, including a large cash grant for the winner in the adult scientist category. Who is trying to sabotage the Fair and why? Can Frankie get the answers in time to solve the mystery so that Inspector Cluesome isn’t called in to save the day – which of course he couldn’t do anyway! This is a different kind of adventure for Frankie, one that calls more upon his detective skills and taxes his powers of perception and observation. In the words of the inimitable and most famous (Belgian, if you please!) detective Hercule Poirot, “It is the brain, the little gray cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within--not without.” Frankie must interview each junior contestant and also discreetly try to find out if they have hidden the robotic chip about their person. In the course of his investigations, it appears that Angus and Archie might deserve what they got since their efforts to put a spanner in the works of all their friends’ and fellow contestants’ science exhibits comes to light. I really enjoyed this more cerebral adventure that takes Frankie down a notch or two in his usual fast paced race through an investigation to a quieter more ‘thinking’ way of working on a problem. The various exhibits the young scientists have invented were absolutely amazing and I am sure will inspire budding inventors to create their own. Some pertinent moral and social behaviour messages make their appearance in the narrative so kids are left in no doubt as to what is right and what is wrong, but done in the nicest possible way so kids will absorb them. Another fun and intriguing adventure from author Julie Anne Grasso to entertain and educate kids!
Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the newly released middle grade book, "Selah's Sweet Dream" by Susan Count.
About the Book
Title: Selah's Sweet Dream |
Author: Susan Count |
Publication Date: December 15, 2015 |
Publisher: Hastings Creations Group |
Pages: 196 |
Recommended Ages: 8+
Book Description: Twelve-Year-Old SELAH (Say-la) aspires to be an equestrian superstar. That would require a horse. HER DILEMMA
: Grandpa wants nothing to do with horses. THEN
: Selah sees buzzards circling the grasslands behind Grandpa’s farm. They are stalking a horse trapped in wire and Selah is its only hope. DANGEROUS: The horse is wild and defiant - jeopardizing Selah’s dreams. FOILED: The legal owner searched for the horse for two years and wants it back. BUT: Selah is confident that God will provide her heart’s desire. MEMORIES: Grandpa shows Selah a video, from long ago, of a phenomenal equestrian. Selah declares that she wants to be like her and Grandpa explains the rider was her grandmother. HOPE: A world renowned horse trainer offers to train Sweet Dream and Selah. FOILED AGAIN: Her parents could ruin everything unless Sweet Dream’s unruly behavior ruins it first. LOST: Selah’s opportunity to mirror the equestrian talent of her renowned grandmother evaporates when the horse causes mayhem at the trainer’s facility. NEVER GIVE UP: Will Selah gather her courage and face up to the trainer to save her aspirations?
The Early Buzz About the Book
"An engaging horse tale with a lot of heart... The story also has plenty of suspenseful passages to keep readers engaged." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"Never a dull moment…" ~ 5 Star Review, Readers' Favorite
"A delightful read for anyone who enjoys a wholesome page turner!" ~ Cathymar, Amazon
"I loved this book! The author is a master story-teller and also taught me a great deal about horses in the book and clearly demonstrated how devoted one person can be to her horse." ~ S. Baggett, Amazon
"This story details hopes, determination, family values and best of all, a magnificent horse with a good bloodline ... A perfect book for horse lovers and all thing 'horse!' " ~ D. Fisher, Amazon
About the Author: Susan Count
As a young girl, I was captivated by
The Black Stallion series. Ownership of a real horse was beyond my grasp, so I consumed horse books. I am still a devoted student of equine training techniques of all disciplines and an avid equestrian. Now caretaker of three equine blessings, I consider them a gift of His unmerited favor. The only thing more fun than riding horses is writing stories about them. Pinterest fulfills my desire to have a horse of every color. Ride along:
https://www.pinterest.com/susancount/ ** Book Blast Giveaway **
Prize: One winner will receive a
$25 Amazon gift card or
$25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: December 31, 11:59 pm, 2015
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Susan Count and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
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Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the middle grade books, based on Arthurian Legend, "Young Knights of the Round Table" and "Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend" by Cheryl Carpinello.
About the Books
Title: Young Knights of the Round Table: The King's Ransom
| Author: Cheryl Carpinello
| Cover Art: Kaytalin Platt |
Publication Date: May, 2012
| Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
| Pages: 120
| Recommended Ages: 7 to 12
Book Description:
Answer the hero's call to Adventure with the Young Knights of the Round Table on their Quest. Three friends. Three quests. Three mysterious predictions. In medieval Wales, eleven-year-old Prince Gavin, thirteen-year-old orphan Philip, and fifteen-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan are brought together in friendship by one they call the Wild Man. When an advisor to the king is killed and a jewelled medallion is stolen from the king's treasury, the Wild Man is accused of the theft and murder. Filled with disbelief at the arrest of the Wild Man, the three friends embark upon a knight's quest to save their friend's life. To succeed, the three must confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. Join Gavin, Philip, and Bryan on their quest and share the adventures that await them in the land of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
Awards2014 Gold Award Winner for Juvenile Fiction from Global eBook Awards. 2013 EVVY Finalist & EVVY Merit Award for Juvenile/Young Adult, Colorado Independent Publishers Assoc. 2013 Ariana Cover Finalist 2012 Silver Award Recipient for YA Fiction, Children's Literary Classics & CLC's 2012 Seal of Approval 2012 Finalist E-Book Children from USA 2012 Best Book Awards
Title: Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend
| Author: Cheryl Carpinello
| Cover Art: Kaytalin Platt;
Rita Toews | Publication Date: March, 2009
| Publisher: Beyond Today Educator
| Pages: 122
| Recommended Age: 7 to 12
At the dawn of Camelot, one young girl is about to take her place beside the greatest king in England's history. She is a mere child of twelve. But in these medieval days, this is the age when childish things must be put away and greater responsibilities accepted--all in preparation for a betrothal of marriage. For young Lady Guinevere, on the advent of her thirteenth Birth Day, the whole idea is quite unbearable. After all, what could be better than spending her youth playing with her best friend Cedwyn, roaming the grounds around the castle looking for mythical creatures or hunting rabbits? However, the wizard Merlyn--her teacher and friend--knows that destiny has a way of catching up with a person. His arrival sets in motion a series of events that will lead Guinevere to her destiny whether she is ready for it or not.
Excerpts From Reviews
The King's Ransom:
"Cheryl Carpinello's middle grade adventure novel, featuring a visit from King Arthur and a few of his knights, is a wonderful introduction ~ to King Arthur, and to the lives of knights and others in a castle."
"I do wish the story had been a little longer, but as this book is aimed at a younger reader with a shorter attention span, I can understand why it was not."
"It's a great story about loyalty, friendship and overcoming obstacles."
"This was a delightful rollercoaster of a read, taking us on a journey with each of the characters. There were moments of great sadness, where I felt so wholeheartedly for the characters and their situations."
Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend:“I read this book to my son and daughter and they both loved it. It was a fast-paced book with a lot of excitement.”
“Will appeal to middle school aged readers, especially girls but boys too, who can relate to the idea of wanting independence yet struggling with the obligations that come with it.”
“Wizards, unicorns, and dragons are a few of the mythical creatures you will encounter in this enchanting book.”
“It is interesting and filled with enough Arthurian legend to keep young readers entertained. The questions at the end are great for comprehension and give the readers a chance to discuss their own take on the story.”
About the Author: Cheryl Carpinello
I am a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Quest Books set in these worlds. Also please visit my other sites:
Carpinello's Writing Pages where I interview children's/MG/Tween/YA authors; my home website
Beyond Today Educator, and
The Quest Books where I've teamed up with Fiona Ingram from South Africa and Wendy Leighton-Porter of Abu Dhabi to enable readers to find our Ancient and Medieval quest books in one place.
** Book Blast Giveaway **
Prize: One winner will receive a
$25 Amazon gift card or
$25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: December 24, 11:59 pm, 2015
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Cheryl Carpinello and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
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Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for "Hestia the Invisible", the newest book in the "Goddess Girls" middle grade series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams.
About "Hestia the Invisible"
Title: Hestia the Invisible (Goddess Girls #18) |
Authors: Joan Holub and
Suzanne Williams | Publication Date: December 1, 2015
| Publisher: Aladdin / Simon & Schuster |
Pages: 256
| Recommended Ages: 7 to 12
Book Description: Set at Mount Olympus Academy where Zeus is principal, the Goddess Girls series (ages 8-12) puts a middle school spin on Greek mythology. Hestia, the 12-year-old goddess of the hearth, struggles to create a symbol or logo for herself in Crafts-ology class and realizes she wants to make herself more visible. Because most MOA students don’t even seem to notice she’s around!
Goddess Girls Boxed Sets
Goddess Girls Boxed Set: Books 1-4 (Charm Bracelet Inside!)
The Goddess Girls at Mount Olympus Academy—Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis—give ancient Greek myths present-day personality! This deluxe box set includes the first four volumes of the popular series, along with a coordinating charm bracelet, and is ideal for new and old fans alike.
Athena the Brain,
Persephone the Phony,
Aphrodite the Beauty, and
Artemis the Brave.
Goddess Girls Boxed Set: The Glittering Collection Books 5-8 (Charm Bracelet Inside!)
Join Athena, Persephone, Aphrodite, and Artemis as they navigate the halls of Mount Olympus Academy—where friendships and adventures abound! This boxed set comes complete with a rhinestone “G” charm bracelet and includes
Athena the Wise,
Aphrodite the Diva,
Artemis the Loyal, and
Medusa the Mean.
Goddess Girls Boxed Set: A Charming Collection Books 9-12 (Charm Bracelet Inside!)
Continue the mega amazing Goddess Girls adventures with
Pandora the Curious,
Pheme the Gossip,
Persephone the Daring, and
Cassandra the Lucky!
About the Authors
Joan Holub and
Suzanne Williams are co-authors of three series: "
Goddess Girls" (for ages 8-12, Greek mythology with a middle school twist), "
Grimmtastic Girls" (for ages 8-12, fairy tale adventure with a middle school twist), and "
Heroes in Training" (ages 6-11, Greek mythology adventure chapter books).
Joan Holub is also the author of 140+ books for children including the acclaimed picture books
Little Red Writing, The Knights Before Christmas, and the New York Times bestseller
Mighty Dads, as well as
This Little President, a board book for toddlers (January 2016).
Suzanne Williams is also the author of over 40 books for children. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book
Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children’s choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. Other series include
Fairy Blossoms and
Princess Power.
** Book Blast Giveaway **
Prize: One winner will receive a
$25 Amazon gift card or
$25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: December 22, 11:59 pm, 2015
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Joan Holub and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
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Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the newly released young adult thriller, "Family Secret" by Kay LaLone.
About the Book
Title: Family Secret |
Author: Kay LaLone |
Publication Date: September 29, 2015 |
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing |
Pages: 229 |
Recommended Ages: 12+
Summary: On the road to solving his mother’s murder, sixteen-year-old Thomas Patrick Henry discovers a secret his father has kept from him for years. Tom thought Dad’s secret put him in danger, Mom’s secret is far worse. Magic. Witches. Ancient Book of Spells. Magical Amulet. Ghosts. Demons. Tom never thought these things existed until he is face to face with them. There is nothing else to do but destroy the demons before someone else Tom love dies. He already lost his mom and a close friend because this secret was kept from him. No one else will die. No one else will be possessed. Tom faces his demons. A mother’s love gives Tom the strength to slay his demons.
The Early Buzz About the Book
"Once I opened this book, I couldn’t put it down until I came to the very satisfying ending. Family Secret is definitely a book I’ll read again and again. I highly recommend Family Secret for teens who love the paranormal, especially boys looking for a good adventure." ~ Kathleen S., Amazon
"The world building was really well done and very immersive. The plot kept me guessing and was wrapped up very well." ~ Melissa, Goodreads
About the Author: Kay LaLone
I’m
Kay LaLone, author of
Ghostly Clues, my first MG novel.
Family Secret is my first YA novel. Both published by MuseItUp. I live in Michigan with my husband and teenage son (two older sons and a daughter-in-law and my first grandbaby live nearby) and two dogs. I love to get up every morning and write about ghosts, the paranormal, and things that go bump in the night. I write PB, MG and YA novels. No matter the books I write, I want my readers to feel like they have met a new friend. I’m an avid reader of just about any type of book (mystery, paranormal, and ghost stories are my favorites). I do reviews and post them on my website and blog. I love to collect old books, antiques, and collectibles. You can find many of my antiques and collectibles selling on ebay and at fleamarkets.
** Book Blast Giveaway **
Prize: One winner will receive a
$25 Amazon gift card or
$25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice
Giveaway ends: December 15, 11:59 pm, 2015
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Kay LaLone and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
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