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Obed is in the hills outside Bethlehem when the angels appear to announce the Savior’s birth. Can he trust that the miracle of the first Christmas will keep his flock safe while he visits the newborn King?

Purchase your copy from:

Guardian Angel Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Indiebound.org

Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA2KStzoCPo

Cheryl’s Favorite Christmas Children’s Books

In case you didn’t realize it, I’m a big kid at Christmas. I honestly think I’m a bigger kid than my girls. I decorate almost every room in the house. I bake for the neighbors. I’m hoping to go Christmas caroling next month.  Oh, Christmas carols are an all year thing around this house. If it weren’t for the cats, I’m pretty sure I would leave the Christmas trees up all year round, too.

Seasonal books are another great way to get into the holiday spirit–not that mine is lacking, but it’s a good excuse to buy books. Here are some of my favorite Christmas children’s books.

When my son was a kid  (and that’s many years ago), he had to read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It is the story of the Herdmans, who are not exactly the kind of kids you want yours emulating. They lie, cheat, and steal. There had never heard of Christmas before, but they end up getting involved in the Christmas pageant at church with some hilarious results.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss is a holiday staple. In the years it has been on TV, I’ve not missed it–the original animated version, not the movie version. If Dr. Seuss didn’t think readers needed to know the Grinch’s history of how he became so sour, then Ron Howard and his writers didn’t need to create one. I love the story of the green, miserly Grinch with the heart two sizes too small.

My son and I read this one together for years, then it was my girls’ turn. As a child, even more than A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, this book revealed to me there is evil in this world, or at least grumpy people who for one reason or another cut themselves off from the joy of Christmas. Perhaps that’s why the Grinch’s transformation is so thrilling to me. Just like Ebeneezer Scrooge, Christmas works its magic on the Grinch and he’s pulled into all the joy it can bring.

I sometimes wonder if Clement Clarke Moore had any idea that his poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” would entertain generations of families for centuries. More commonly know-at least around here–as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ this poem shares the story of a father who witnesses the jolly old elf visiting his house on Christmas Eve. It has been used to create magical story books featuring humans and animals alike as the characters of this story, in addition to several television movies.

One of my favorite written versions is the one Tiger Tales released in 2011 with Santa Mouse visiting the Mouse family, giving new meaning to “Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder has long been a favorite of mine. Most of the books have at least one Christmas featured in them–if not all of them.

The publishers pulled out the Christmas stories from the set and featured them in two large hardcovers.

From Christmas in the Big Woods of Wisconsin to the day Mr. Edwards delivered presents so that Santa didn’t have to cross the creek, to the chapters of Christmas on Plum Creek where Laura received red mittens, the white china box, and the fur cape and muff off the tree at church, each story is just as special as when you first read it in the Little House books.

The illustrations by Garth Williams have been colorized to make this book an extra special treat for Little House fans, and also includes the words and music to Merry, Merry Christmas! by Mrs. T.J. Cook.

While A Little House Christmas shares the Christmas stories of Laura’s early days, A Little House Christmas, Volume II travels east to Malone, New York to share the story of Christmas at the Wilder farm when Almanzo was a boy and the aunts and uncles and cousins were coming to dinner.  Then the book travels to the shores of Silver Lake, where Laura and her family are living in the surveyor’s house, and on to Christmas in De Smet, SD, where the blizzards seem like they will never end and the trains won’t run again until spring. And finally, we get to read the story of Almanzo’s surprise return visit on Christmas Eve in These Happy Golden Years.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the short return to my childhood. I hope you’ll share some of your Christmas favorites, too.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a children’s author and freelance editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd, released by Guardian Angel Publishing, and A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing, under her pen name, C.C. Gevry. A digital version of A Christmas Kindness will be released in 2013.

Since 2007, Cheryl has been an online book publicist specializing in virtual book tours. She is a member of the SCBWI, a book reviewer, and blogger.

Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She also has a son who is married. Visit her online at http://ccmalandrinos.com/ or http://ccgevry.com/.

Pump Up Your Book and Cheryl Malandrinos are giving you the chance to win a set of 2 Little Shepherd mugs.

Use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to enter. Bloggers participating in this tour are eligible to enter and win.

Terms and Conditions:

• Giveaway runs from 12:00 AM EST on 11/4/13 and concludes at 12:00 AM EST on 11/30/2013.
• By entering you certify you are 18 years of age or older and reside in the United States or Canada.
• Winner will be notified by email on 12/2/2013 and have 72 hours to respond with mailing address.
• Prize will be shipped directly from the author to the winner via USPS.
• Blogs participating in this book tour are not responsible for items lost or damaged in shipment.

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You can also visit the Little Shepherd tour page to enter at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/08/01/little-shepherd-virtual-book-tour-november-and-december-2011/

Little Shepherd Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Nov 4

Book spotlight at The Story of a Writer

Book review at Margo Dill’s Read These Books and Use Them!

Nov 5

Book review and interview at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Book trailer reveal at 4 the Love of Books

Nov 6

Guest post at I’m A Reader, Not A Writer

Nov 7

Guest post at This Little Book of Mine

Guest post and book review at Topsy Turvy Land

Nov 8

Interview at Between the Covers

Nov 11

Guest post at Marilyn’s Musings

Guest post at Authors and Appetizers

Nov 12

Book review at Janet Ann Collins On Words

Guest post at Bookingly Yours

Book review and giveaway at Mom Loves 2 Read

Nov 13

Book review at Maureen’s Musings

Nov 14

Guest post at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Nov 15

Guest post at Paperback Writer

Book trailer reveal at Broken Teepee

Nov 18

Book review at Blooming with Books

Nov 19

Book review at Nancy Stewart Books

Radio interview at Stories from Unknown Authors at 1 PM.

Nov 20

Guest post at 4 the Love of Books

Book trailer reveal at Thoughts in Progress

Nov 21

Guest post at Literarily Speaking

Nov 22

Book review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Nov 23

Book review at Freda’s Voice

Nov 26

Book trailer reveal at CelticLady’s Reviews

Nov 27

Book review at ASC Book Reviews (ASC Photos and Designs)

Guest post Tribute Books Reviews and Giveaways

Nov 29

Book spotlight at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Book spotlight at Rose & Beps Blog

Book spotlight at Frugal Canadian Coupon Mom

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Treason, betrayal, and heartbreak.

A lot can happen to a girl between her first kiss and her first kill.

It’s 100 years since the Genetic Integrity Act was passed and America closed its borders to prevent genetic contamination. Now only the enemy, dysgenic Deviants, remain beyond the heavily guarded border. The Department of Evolution carefully guides the creation of each generation and deviations from the divine plan are not permitted.

When 16-year-old Jess begins to show signs of deviance she enlists in the Special Forces, with her best friend Jay, in a desperate bid to evade detection by the Devotees. Jess is good with data, not so good with a knife. So when the handsome and secretive Sergeant Matt Anderson selects her for his Black Ops squad, Jess is determined to figure out why.

As her deviance continues to change her, Jess is forced to decide who to trust with her deadly secret. Jess needs to know what’s really out there, in the Deviant wasteland over the border, if she has any hope of making it to her 17th birthday. Because if the enemy doesn’t kill her first, the Department of Evolution probably will.

Title: External Forces
Author: Deborah Rix
Publisher: Dime Store Books
Pages: 268
Language: English
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Format: eBook

Purchase at AMAZON

Deborah Rix’s favourite position for reading a book is head almost hanging off the couch and feet up in the air with legs against the back of the couch. She’s been reading too much from Scientific American for research and ideas and needs to get back to some fiction. She has a long standing love of science fiction, some of her favourite authors include William Gibson, Philip K Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Douglas Adams, Iain M Banks. A bit old school.

Deborah enjoyed a successful career in entertainment publicity, live music promotion and event management. Which means she slogged through muddy fields for music festivals, was crammed into concert halls with too many sweaty teenage boys and got to go to Tuktoyaktuk (that’s in the Arctic Circle) for a Metallica concert. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada, where she is the proprietor of The Lucky Penny, a neighborhood joint in Trinity-Bellwoods.

Visit her website at www.DeborahRix.com. 

ACCELERATE YOUR POWER GRAND PRIZE

GRAND PRIZE: Winner will have a minor character named after them in Acceleration, the second book in The Laws of Motion Trilogy by Deborah Rix. PLUS: 1 (One) WakaWaka Power – a solar powered charger and light, 1 (one) Limited Edition EXTERNAL FORCES Black Ops Beanie, and 1 (one) signed copy of External Forces.

The fine print: Grand Prize winner will have a minor character named after them in the forthcoming book, Acceleration. The winner can choose a name other their own as long as it is mutually agreeable with the Author, Deborah Rix. That means nothing obscene, stupid or ridiculous, as decided at the sole discretion of the author. Winner agrees that the gender, race, physical description, sexual orientation or any other characteristics of the character are at the sole discretion of the author. Winner agrees that the character may suffer some sort of gruesome downfall or may be a heroic figure in the story, it is at the sole discretion of the author what the role of the character will be and to what extent the character will be part of the story. The author assures the winner that it will be a real character in the story and part of a sub-plot or major plot.

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive the Accelerate Your Power Grand Prize.
• This giveaway begins November 4 and ends January 31.
• Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, February 3, 2013.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Visit the External Forces Tour Page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/10/20/virtual-book-tour-pump-up-your-book-presents-external-forces-virtual-book-tour/

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About the Book

Title: The Christmas Owl

Author: Angela Muse

Illustrator: Helen H. Wu

Publication Date: November, 2013

Publisher: Independent – 4eyesbooks

Number of pages: 36

Recommended age: 3+

Summary

A Barred owl becomes injured and must ask others for help. He promises to give back to those who have a generous heart and he is true to his word. Also check out Lil Glimmer, The Nutt Family: An Acorny Adventure, The Pig Princess, The Bee Bully, Eager Eaglets: Birds of Play, Cactus Charlie, Suzy Snowflake and Monsters Have Mommies by this author.

Review

While it’s not often I make mention of artwork or book design first in a review, I simply must do it this time. Helen H. Wu has drawn stunningly beautiful artwork for this story of an injured Barred owl who seeks help from other animals and returns their generosity year after year. The overall book design is lovely and the eloquent font adds just the right touch. All this enhances the charm of this seasonal tale from the talented pen of Angela Muse. This lyrical, rhyming story will delight young readers and encourage them to develop a servant’s heart.

Book Trailer

Purchase

** You can download a copy of “The Christmas Owl” for only 99 cents from NOW through November 14, 2013 on Amazon!! **

Amazon (Print) | Amazon (99 cent Kindle Book)

About the Author: Angela Muse

I was born in California to a military family. This meant that I was the “new kid” in school every couple of years. It was hard always trying to make new friends, but I discovered I had a knack for writing. I began writing poetry in high school and really enjoyed expressing myself by using pen and paper. After becoming a Mom in 2003, I continued my storytelling to my own children. In 2009 I wrote and published my first children’s book aimed at toddlers. In 2012 I am set to release several more children’s books. Check out what I’m working on by visiting my children’s book blog.

Writing is such a wonderful creative process and I look forward to sharing more of my stories with lots of new little readers!

Website | Facebook | Twitter

* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs: November 12 to December 11, 11:59 pm, 2013

Open: 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, Angela Muse 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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Sarah Renée has loved writing from an early age. At the age of 10, she came up with the idea for The Tiger Princess and wrote the novel when she was 12. She is fascinated with wild animals and the wild world outside her home, and has a great love of tigers. She enjoys spending time with her cats, reading, drawing, and playing her violin when she is not writing. In her free time, she is constantly daydreaming about her many characters, creating new ones, and coming up with interesting adventure story ideas. She is now 17 years old.

Visit Sarah Renee’s website at www.thetigerprincess.com to learn more about Sarah Renee, her books, and more!

Thank you for joining us today, Sarah. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself?

Thank you for interviewing me! My name is Sarah Renée, I’m 17 years old, a huge cat-lover, and the author of a series of fantasy adventure books written for ages 8-12 called the Saderia Series.

When did you first get bit by the writing bug?

Probably before I was even born! I have loved telling stories for as long as I can remember. When I was really young, I used to just love scribbling out stories on a piece of paper. As I got older, I started writing more complex stories – but even then, they were just short stories about my cats! When I was 12, though, I started getting serious about writing and decided I wanted to be an author. That was when I wrote the final draft of my first book, The Tiger Princess, a 300+ page fantasy novel about a curious tiger Princess named Saderia, which I later went on to publish at the age of 13.

Why did you decide to write stories for children?

I didn’t actually make a conscious decision to write stories for children when I wrote my first book, The Tiger Princess, since I wrote it at the age of 12. When I wrote it, I only wanted to write a story that I would like to read and that other kids around my age would enjoy reading.

Do you believe it is harder to write books for a younger audience?

In my case, no. Since I started writing at a young age – the age The Tiger Princess and the other Saderia Series books are geared toward – writing from a 10-year-old tiger’s point of view for a younger audience came naturally to me. I’ve gotten so used to writing from my young characters’ point of view in the years since I wrote my first book that it still feels natural and easy to write for a younger audience even now that I’m 17. Plus, it probably helps that I haven’t grown up much since then!

What is your favorite part of writing for young people?

It definitely has to be the fact that you can write so freely. Children in the age range I write for have incredible imaginations – I know I did! What I love about writing for children is that I can capture their imaginations in such fantastic ways. Stories for children don’t have to be totally based in reality – you can write about magical adventures and extraordinary characters when you write for children, and hopefully you can inspire them to use their own imaginations to come up with their own stories too!

Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?

My latest book, Rock Bottom, is actually the fifth book in the Saderia Series. It would be difficult to talk about it without describing the other ones, though, so I’ll describe the first book first.

My first book is called The Tiger Princess, a fantasy adventure book written for ages 8-12. In the book, a sassy and brave tiger Princess named Saderia makes it her goal to solve the mystery of what happened to her parents, the King and Queen, after they vanished in a fire ten years ago. On her quest to uncover the truth, Saderia also stumbles upon ancient secrets and even incredible magic powers!

The second book, Dash, follows Saderia’s adventures in a new school as she tries to befriend a mysterious classmate with a dark secret. The third book is called Hunted Home, and it tells the story of a canine named Dingo who lives in a harsh desert and has to fight not only to save himself, but also Saderia when she finds herself lost. The fourth book, Enchanted Home, introduces a new character named Jeb, who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit and who seeks Saderia’s help and magic powers in finding the truth. And that brings us to the fifth book, which tells the story of how Saderia and her new friends must fight to save a lost member of her family – and in the process, uncover a few dark truths.

What inspired you to write it?

More than anything, a love of telling stories and a love of the characters I created inspired me to write each of the books in the series. I actually came up with the idea for the first book, The Tiger Princess, when I was 10 by combining my love of tigers and animals with a fascination with royalty like Princesses and Queens. Now my love of the story of Saderia’s adventures inspires me to keep writing the next books in the series!

Where can readers purchase a copy?

The Tiger Princess is actually free on the Amazon Kindle right now, and you can pick up your e-book copy here. It is also available for free on the Barnes & Noble Nook, which you can find here, and on most other e-readers. If you’re looking for a paperback copy, you can also pick one up on Amazon at the same link. For a list of all the places you can get The Tiger Princess, as well as the other books in the series (Dash, Hunted Home, Enchanted Home, and Rock Bottom), check out the official website for links to all the places you can get them!

What is up next for you?

I have just finished writing the 11th book in the Saderia Series (of which there will be about 16 books), so I’m planning on writing the 12th book and the rest of the books in the series soon and hopefully releasing Book 6 sometime in 2014. I’m also tossing around an idea for another series I’d like to write. So in short, a whole lot of writing!

Do you have anything else to add?

Nope, just a big thanks for interviewing me and letting me share my story!

Thank you for spending time with us today, Sarah. We wish you much success.

Thanks again for interviewing me and thanks to everyone for reading and for checking out The Tiger Princess and the Saderia Series!

 

The Saderia Series Virtual Book Tour Schedule

November 4^th

Book 1 review at This Little Book of Mine

Interview at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

November 5^th

Guest post at Bookingly Yours

November 6^th

Book 1 review at YAdult Review

First chapter reveal for Book 1 at CelticLady’s Reviews

November 7^th

Interview at Between the Covers

November 8^th

Series spotlight at Literal Exposure

November 9^th

Book 1 spotlight at Classic Children’s Books

November 11^th

Book 1 review at Classic Children’s Books

November 12^th

Interview at Pump Up Your Book

November 13^th

Guest post at The Crypto-Capers Review

November 14^th

Interview at Blogcritics

November 15^th

Guest post and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily

November 18^th

Book 2 spotlight at Paperback Writer

November 19^th

Book 2 review at This Little Book of Mine

November 20^th

Interview at Examiner

November 21^st

First chapter reveal for Book 2 at CelticLady’s Reviews

November 22^nd

Book 1 review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

November 25^th

Book 2 review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

November 26^th

Guest post at Literarily Speaking

November 27^th

Series spotlight at Thoughts in Progress

Guest post at 4 the Love of Books

November 29^th

Series spotlight at 4 the Love of Books

Series spotlight at The Children’s and Teen’s Book Connection

Book tour highlights at The Book Rack

 

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“As daughter of our ruler I grew up in the crossfire of an ongoing war… All I’d ever wanted to be was a great warrior and ultimately lead my people into victorious battles.”

With only a small army at her command Halíka Dacomé, a skilled warrior and daughter of the Elemental King, is ready to lead one final battle to save her planet. A battle against the savage, bloodthirsty Primords who want to extinguish the diminished race of Elementals once and for all.

But before battle commences her father is given an ultimatum from the enemy leader, Arfron Uhnok. If the king agrees, Halíka Dacomé must marry Arfron Uhnok to prevent further bloodshed. If the king disagrees they, as a race, will all perish.

Horrified by her father’s decision, Halíka Dacomé leads her army onward regardless of the consequences. Because her heart belongs to another. A love that blossomed many years ago. A love that her father has forbidden.

Halíka faces her toughest battle yet and learns that not all battles are those fought with a sword…
The Battle for Arcanon Major is an epic love story set against the backdrop of war and is the first Prequel to Elemental: The First.

What do we want from a Strong Female Character? by Alexandra May

It’s hard to decipher what the term ‘Strong’ Female Character actually means. Do readers want to read about a heroine who takes no prisoners, fights to the death and answers to no one? Or do we want to read about a character that tries her best, has flaws but deals with situations to the best of her ability.

What does ‘Strong’ mean exactly? Strong as in strength? Strong as in compassion? Strong as in confidence? Many of our leading female protagonists in YA literature are strong characters, but flawed as much as they are strong.

One of my favourite characters is Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series. She’s sassy, mouthy, kicks a mean roundhouse and is devoted to her bonded best friend, Lissa. Critics might say that being bonded creates the first flaw in Rose’s character. The fact that she devotes her own life to ensure Lissa stays alive is maybe a flaw but shows strength of character. She’s already accepted that Lissa’s life comes first in all things. At the end of Book 3, Shadow Kiss, though, Rose takes an unexpected path. She’s about to follow her love, Dimitri to kill him. This is where her strength reaches out revealing that not only is she flawed, she’s also human (or dhampir, whichever way you look at it.). She’s leaving Lissa behind for the first time ever.

The most important points when I created Halíka Dacomé were not only to show her strong character but also show how human she was. She’s an Overlord, or General, of a mostly male army. She’s fights well, takes ownership of her decisions, and accepts advice from others and ultimately her strength in character is what drives her army to follow her. They believe in her, wholeheartedly.

Underneath all of that she’s deeply flawed. Her love for her brother brings on an awkward situation when he won’t return to his post, preferring to stay with her in the final battle. Not even her strong will can remove him. He is her weakness but also her strength. When her childhood friend and love interest arrives, her emotions become twisted. She even sheds a few tears in his close company. He is also her weakness. Some might say that her love is her strength. This really all comes down to how the writer wants to define that particular aspect of the character. Love can always make a situation better or worse.

The next most important aspect when writing a romance with a strong character is writing an equally strong opposite. Some readers were upset at the end of book 6, Last Sacrifice of the Vampire Academy series. Rose Hathaway chose Dimitri over Adrian. In truth Adrian was never Rose’s equal. The relationship was born more of friendship and lust rather than equalling Dimitri in other ways. Dimitri and Rose know, really know each other. They work because they’re in sync. They know each other’s strengths and weakness as though they were their own. They balance one another in a way that Adrian and Rose never had.

For Halíka Dacomé her biggest weakness, her biggest flaw was her compassion. She followed her heart and was led by it to make a decision that she would not have normally made. That decision led to her downfall.

So, my next task when I write the sequel to The Battle for Arcanon Major is to show how she overcomes the realisation that her heart got in the way of her rational thinking. Will her strong character enable her to overcome her moment of weakness?

Alexandra May is an English author of three books, bringing together the epic saga of Halíka Dacomé and her modern day equivalent, Rose Frost.

Elemental: The First, Elemental: Origin and The Battle for Arcanon Major draw in Alexandra’s love of strong women characters, sci-fi, history, romance and a little warmongering on the side!

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/13/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Mark J. Grant, a graduate of Occidental College, has been on Wall Street for thirty-seven years in various senior management positions. He has run capital markets for four investment banks and been on the boards of directors of four investment banks. Grant also writes “Out of the Box,” a commentary on the financial markets that is distributed daily to approximately 5,000 large money management institutions in forty-eight countries. He is the author of Out of the Box and onto Wall Street: Unorthodox Insights on Investments and the Economy (Wiley, 2011). LILA: THE SIGN OF THE ELVEN QUEEN is his first novel.

Visit his website at www.princesslila.com. Follow Mark on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lilaandfluffy.

7 Things About Lila: The Sign of the Elven Queen You Might Not Know

by Mark J. Grant

 

1. It all began at a dinner party at my house. I had some friends over and they were complaining that there were no nice books, no fairy tales, no Alice in Wonderland’s available in the world any longer. They said every book had he who could not be named or giant spiders or monsters or vampires or skulls and crossbones. There was nothing out there to read to their kids or have their older children read. This was quite a topic of conversation. I said that they had to be kidding, but if that was the case then I would write such a book. It would be a lovely fantasy that would not scare any child. They all looked at me with some disbelief but I did exactly what I promised. Lila—the Sign of the Elven Queen is my answer to their distress.

2.   The novel is the world seen through the eyes of a six-year-old girl. Each day is a new adventure as she confronts the wonder of daily life that is experienced by a child. She not only becomes older day by day, but mama is constantly teaching her to be a young lady as part of her growing up.

3.   Lila lives in New York City and her building will not allow her to have a dog. Lila thinks and thinks about this, and finally concludes that she wants an invisible dog, to which her parents agree. On a cold and snowy day Lila and Papa go to the pet store to buy the invisible supplies for her new dog. As they reach the entrance, around the corner comes a black and white Australian Shepard who sits down in front of Lila, extends his paw and says, “Hello Lila, I am Fluffy.”

4.   Fluffy then introduces Lila to the invisible people of Iceland who live in the cornerstones of downtown buildings and in the boulders of Central Park. There is quite a stir in their community, as they rarely allow people to see them. It is apparent that Fluffy has something in mind.

5.   Lila has a birthmark on her left forearm and it is discovered that Lila has “The Sign of the Elven Queen.” This is something that has not been seen on a human in almost two thousand years. This causes a lot of fuss for the invisible people, and Lila and her parents are invited to “Boulder I, Parliament House” in Central Park to have lunch with the current Queen and Princess of the invisible people.

6.   The Council of Elders of both the invisible people in Iceland and New York then decide that Lila is to become a princess. Her coronation will also take place in Central Park at “Boulder II, Castlerock.” In the middle of this boulder is a large dome where two trees have grown thrones for the current Queen and Princess, and next to them is a sapling that is hurriedly growing a throne for Lila.

7. At the coronation it turns out that Fluffy is much more than he seems and he reveals his secret just as Lila become a Princess. Lila is crowned, turns seven and learns just who Fluffy really is as the invisible people can barely contain their joy. Now how good is that?

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Sometimes, the ones you least suspect are the ones that should worry you the most.

People aren’t always what they seem, as Red has experienced all too well. Strangers are feared, towns are avoided, and everyone’s intentions are scrutinized… even those of the people closest to her. Her coveted ability has been revealed to far too many people, and now that a tiny heartbeat thumps and grows beneath her own, the risk has never been greater.

As the group of ten searches for a safe haven, a place to finally call home, the sobering reality of it all finally settles over them: nowhere is safe, nothing is permanent, and death is everywhere. One by one, Red’s reluctant posse grows smaller, as death claims some, and circumstance claims others.

It couldn’t be a worse time to bring a newborn into the world… but the baby is coming.

BIO:

I hear voices. Tiny fictional people sit on my shoulders and whisper their stories in my ear. Instead of medicating myself, I decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. I’m not crazy. I’m an author. For the most part, I write contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, I found myself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West—and loving it. My zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, I wouldn’t suggest it.

I live on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. I graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of my love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. I can’t spell, and grammar is my arch nemesis. But they gave me the degree, and there are no take backs.

ONLINE LINKS:

Website: www.angelascottauthor.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AngelaScottWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ascott_author

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/AngelaScott

BUY NOW LINK:

• Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Plains-Zombie-West-ebook/dp/B00FNH2MLA/

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Although born in New York City, Sal was a restless baby. After only a week he moved to New Jersey and stayed there right up until he got married. Then he and his wife Sheri, his artistic and business partner, moved cross country to Arizona. 

Sal grew up on a steep hillside neighborhood in North Bergen with his four older sisters and a dog named Lady.  He fondly remembers the neighborhood as “playing stick ball in the street with friends and sledding down the hill right onto route 9 – when everything was closed due to snow.” 

Sal lives the phrase: “A day without laughter is a wasted day.” To that end, he uses his writing, illustrating and animation skills to create endearing characters and comedic stories. As the creative director for Hartman-Barbera LLC, Sal paints, sculpts, draws, animates and writes. 

When he’s not working, Sal enjoys cooking, watching TV, going to movies and playing golf.  Sal is a member of the SCBWI, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. 

His website is:

http://www.salvatorebarbera.com 

Thank you for joining us today, Sal. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself?

I loved growing up in New Jersey. There was New York City on the other side of the tunnel, or the beach just a short drive away. I was at the jersey shore a lot, but that was a while back when everybody had regular names. No Snookies or Situations to speak of.

When did you first get bit by the writing bug?

I started writing stories with illustrations about our little dog Max over 15 years ago. He is the inspiration for the character Sweetles, which is one of the names we called him. He is also the muse for the series of books I’m writing now; A Sweetles Dream ®.

My wife and I wondered what he dreamt about when he was running and whooping in his dreams. So I took the liberty of using my imagination to imagine his. And that’s the premise for the book series: a little dog that sees a personal or social situation during the day and dreams up the solution at night while he’s sleeping.

Why did you decide to write stories for children?

I’ve always done lots of wacky drawings with captions. It was easy to make the transition to books and fun to put my drawings with the stories. Although I never actually decided to write children’s books, my stories seem to be the perfect length and style for picture books.

Do you believe it is harder to write books for a younger audience?

Not really. Writing for a young audience is fun. Especially if you inject some humor for adults throughout the tale. It makes it fun for the adults to read the stories along with the kids.

What is your favorite part of writing for young people?

The questions you don’t see coming.  Kids are hilarious and come up with some very funny remarks. I’ve learned a lot about why I write answering their questions. Another favorite part of writing is when I hear or see a positive response to one of my books. That’s very rewarding.

I was recently at the Orange County Children’s Book Festival and two little girls and their Mom picked up my book. The older daughter read it from cover to cover. As she was reading, her smile got bigger and bigger. At the end, she asked her Mom if she could have the book. It actually made my eyes misty. It’s great when a complete stranger wants to own my books.

Can you tell us what your latest book is all about? 

Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow is about a “spotless”cow that arrives at a new farm hoping to find friendship. Instead, because she’s different from all of the other cows, they don’t want anything to do with her. She must find a way to overcome their “Spot discrimination.” The story is about how she accomplishes this in her clever, diplomatic and funny way.

What inspired you to write it?

My mother-in-law is one of my best friends. Awhile back she was going through a rough time with breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation. She needed cheering up. So I decided to write a funny story to lift her spirits and make her laugh. That story became the tale of Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow.

Where can readers purchase a copy?

During the month of October, Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow is a special price of $12.00 for your readers (list $17.99) on the publisher’s website: Sweetles.com It’s always available on Amazon.

What is up next for you?

I’ve written and illustrated the second book in the A Sweetles Dream® series. It’s called: Ernie The Dysfunctional Frog.  I’m also working on a web series for kids with the Sweetles™ character along with his fairy tale friends. It’s a mixed media web series that will be educational and wacky too. The tagline is: “Have fun learn and play, that’s a Sweetles Day!” Think: Sesame Street meets Monty Python and that will give you an idea of what’s coming. Check the Sweetles.com website for updates, or go to SweetlesTV on youtube.

Do you have anything else to add?

If you’re not afraid to use your imagination, you’ll be surprised at the wonderful things you can come up with.  And try to laugh every day. It’s good for your health.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Sal. We wish you much success.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

All my best,

-Sal

http://www.salvatorebarbera.com/

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Joe Sergi is a life-long comic fan who lives outside of Washington, DC with his wife and daughter. Joe writes on the history of comics and censorship for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Joe is an attorney and a Haller Award winning author who has written articles, novels, short stories, and comic books in the horror, sci-fi, and young adult genres. His first novel, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Legacy was selected Best of 2010 by the New PODler Review. The second book in the series, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures, was released this year from Martin Sisters Publishing. Joe has also edited a comic anthology, Great Zombies in History through McFarland Press. Look for his next project, Comic Book Law for the Comics Creator, should be released early next year from McFarland Press.  A complete list of Joe’s titles is available at his website, www.JoeSergi.net.

When he doesn’t write about zombies, aliens, and superheroes, Joe work as a Senior Litigation Counsel in an unnamed government agency and is also a member of the adjunct faculty at George Mason University School of Law where he taught Unincorporated Entities.

Thank you for joining us today, Joe. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself?

I have written articles, novels, short stories, and comic books in the horror, sci-fi, and young adult genres. My first novel, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Legacy was selected Best of 2010 by the New PODler Review. That same year, I won the Haller for Best Writer from the Comic Book Artists Guild at New York Comic Con. In addition to appearing a few comics anthologies (Indie Horror Magazine, Aliens Among Us, and Don’t be Afraid), this year I released the sequel to Sky Girl (Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures) through Martin Sisters Publishing and edited a comic anthology, Great Zombies in History through McFarland Press. I also write a regular column on the history of comics and censorship for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF.org).

When I don’t write about zombies, superheroes, and aliens, I work as a Senior Litigation Counsel in an unnamed government agency and am also a member of the adjunct faculty at George Mason University School of Law where I teach Unincorporated Entities.

When did you first get bit by the writing bug?

There really wasn’t a light bulb moment. I have always been a story teller (much to my parents’ and teachers’ chagrin). I always smile when people ask me how long I’ve been writing. I think the real answer is forever. Some of my earliest memories including laying in the back seat of my parents’ car during long road trips creating comic books based on my favorite Saturday morning cartoons or writing the screenplay for a Star Wars inspired opus, complete with the marriage of Luke and Leah (I had even cast the movie with neighborhood kids when we finally realized that none of us owned a movie camera.) In high school, I often annoyed teachers by taking the most mundane assignment and giving a unique twist. (For a career fair assignment on employment advancement, I outlined the steps that could be employed by the President to manipulate the Constitution to create a monarchy.) In college, I was once accused of plagiarism because “a business major could not possibly be this creative.” In law school, I wrote articles and edited scholarly journals and magazines. Currently, I work as a senior litigation counsel for a government agency. As a litigator, you could say I have been a professional non-fiction writer for decades (and quite frankly earn much more per word than I will probably ever make writing fiction.)

As for my career as an author, my first real fiction publication was in an issue of Trail of Indiscretion Magazine that came out in 2009. I met the publishers at the Baltimore ComicCon and was so impressed with their magazine that I wrote the first draft of Death Imitates Art on the train on the way home. Death Imitates Art is about an author, who is promoting his novel about a Cult at a science fiction convention. He meets a group of warriors who thinks that the cult is real and madness ensues. I submitted it and, although they liked the concept, a lot of rewriting was necessary. I learned a lot through that story—especially what not to do. That same year, I became a semi-finalist in the Who Wants to Create a Superheroine contest sponsored by the Shadowline Imprint of Image Comics.  That experience taught me that comics have their own language. Afterwards, I enrolled in all of Andy Schmidt’s Comics Experience classes to help learn all facts of the craft. 

Why did you decide to write stories for the YA market?

Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures is technically classified as young adult. However, this book more correctly fits into what is known as the superhero genre. Traditionally, the superhero genre was limited to the comic book medium. Sadly, while the superhero genre has had great success expanding into movies and television, superhero prose fiction is a hard platform to sell. I find it amazing that while comics has gained exposure as a medium and is no longer limited to the superheroes genre, the superhero genre, itself, hasn’t really been able to expand into novels or short stories. I hope that Sky Girl will help challenge the limiting misconceptions about the genre. Thus far, it has been an uphill battle. When I was first shopping the series around, so many publishers said they loved the story, but thought that I should make it a graphic novel. But, that wasn’t the point of the series. I wanted to try and capture all the magic and wonder that make superheroes awesome, but express that amazement in prose format.

What is your favorite part of writing for this group? What is the greatest challenge?

As for choosing the young adult genre, I find it is a lot more fun to write. This may be because of the streamlined plot structure. And while it is more applicable for my comic book work, I also believe that it’s important to have superhero fiction that is accessible for younger audiences because they are the future of the genre.

It’s challenging to find the right tone. On the one hand you don’t want to condescend, on the other you don’t want to write something that is way above everyone’s head. I try to take a page from the old Marvel comics that crossed age groups. Take for example, the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic, would frequently explain what was happening using words that would send the most advanced reader to the dictionary. But, in the same panel, Ben Grimm, The Thing, would repeat the same thing Reed said, but in plain English. I try to do the same thing in some of the conversations between Boosadah (DeDe’s mentor) and DeDe or even between Jason and DeDe. (Of course DeDe actually understands everything Jason says—but she likes to yank his chain.)

Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?

Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures is the sequel to Sky Girl and the Superheroic Legacy. The first book introduced DeDe Christopher, an ordinary teen with an extraordinary destiny to become Sky Girl. Being a teenage girl is hard enough, but for DeDe, it is proving impossible. In addition to cliques, books, and boys, she has to worry about capes, apes, and aliens. When we last left DeDe, she had just adopted the mantle of Sky Girl at the end of her sophomore year of high school. This book opens the day before she starts her junior year, so she’s had the whole summer to practice and train with her best friend and self-professed comic geek, Jason. She’s actually gotten quite good at being a costumed adventurer—except for her banter, which still needs work. Now, DeDe must learn what it means to be a heroine as Sky Girl faces the all too real enemies and allies of SkyBoy, including the clever Quizmaster, the beautiful Penny Pound, the enigmatic Jersey Devil, and the magical MissTick. DeDe must also face personal challenges as she discovers the secrets of her late father and his connection to SkyBoy–secrets that will affect Sky Girl’s destiny.

Unlike the first book, which took place over the course of a week, this book covers the whole school year and allows for more diverse adventures. For example, Sky Girl faces off against Shadow, Jason faces off against Quizmaster, and they both have to face an angry horde of zombies. Each adventure stands on its own but is also part of a larger plot and expands on the mystery of what happened to DeDe’s father and Evil Brain’s plot for world domination.

I guess the most important thing to note is that you don’t really need to read the first book to enjoy the second. You just need to know she is Sky Girl.

What inspired you to write it?

I think it is fair to say that the entire Sky Girl trilogy was conceived in a comic’s podcast forum project and born out of a father’s love for his daughter.

Let me explain. The Comic Geek Speak Podcast is made up of a bunch of great guys that love comics. I have listened to them and appeared on their show for several years and am still an active member of their forums. It was on those forums that I learned about a proposed prose anthology, which would be written by the listeners of the podcast. I wrote a story called the Return of Power Boy, a story about a middle aged accountant, who may or may not be a superhero. (The anthology was never produced and the story was later featured in A Thousand Faces, the Quarterly Journal of Superhuman Fiction where it won the Haller for Best Writer in 2010.) The story was a very dark tale of what happens when a super villain wins. One of the very minor characters was the accountant’s four year-old daughter, CeeCee.

Sometimes writers don’t create their characters, they channel them and that’s what happened with CeeCee. After the story was finished, I kept coming back to that little girl. What kind of life would she live, would she develop her father’s powers, and what would she do if she did? Well, CeeCee became DeDe, and the character of Sky Girl was born.

By this time, I had a daughter of my own. And I can’t help but think that this is what converted the very dark Power Boy story into the light hearted story of Sky Girl. As a proud geek daddy, I wanted to share my hobby with my daughter and looked for characters to inspire her. Sadly, I found very few. With a couple of exceptions, most of the female characters from early comics were merely eye candy fawning with unrequited love over the male protagonist or were relegated to the role of guest star (or even hostage) in their own books. Even the few that started as everywoman characters (like Kitty Pryde or Cassie Sandsmark) rapidly developed into über pin-up babes in the 1990s and 2000s. Thankfully, things have gotten a lot better for the modern female comics character, but the industry still has a long way to go. Female characters should have the same chance to grow, develop, and overcome adversity as male characters do. DeDe is a strong teenager and not defined by the men in her life. The series is really about DeDe’s journey to find herself and become Sky Girl. She makes a lot of good decisions, but she also makes some bad and selfish ones. But, at the end of the day she hopefully ends up in the right place. I hope she inspires my daughter to make good decisions.

At the end of the day, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures, and the character of Sky Girl is the culmination of reading far too many great comics, finding far too few strong female characters, and loving my daughter just enough.

Where can readers purchase a copy?

Sky Girl is available at all online booksellers and can be ordered in brick and mortar shops and chains. It is also available directly from the publisher at www.martinsisterspublishing.com. I will also have copies and be signing the book at some upcoming show appearances, some of which include: Baltimore ComicCon (September 7-8); The Collingswood Book Festival (October 5), New York ComicCon (October 10-13), and the Festival of the Book (October 19). These shows are great fun and a wonderful place to connect with readers. I’ve even had a few old and young cosplayers come up to my booth to show me their Sky Girl costumes, which was extremely flattering.

I should also mention that Martin Sisters Publishing will be rereleasing the now out-of-print first book, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Legacy later this year. The final book in the series, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Return, should be out next year.

What is up next for you?

In addition, to the Sky Girl book, this year I edited a comic anthology called Great Zombies in History through McFarland Press. I also write regular articles on the history of comics and censorship for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF.org).

Great Zombies in History is a new graphic novel anthology released from McFarland Press. I met a talented group of writers through Andy Schmidt’s Comics Experience writing classes and we decided to form an independent comic imprint called Elevator Pitch Press to showcase our work. We have released several anthologies that have ranged from horror (Don’t Be Afraid) to grind house (Girls with Guns) to science fiction (Aliens Among Us). Great Zombies in History is an anthology of historically accurate stories, but written to include zombies. For example, I wrote The Zombie War of 1812, which features the real reason that Washington, DC was burned during the war. Rob Anderson, writer of the best selling BDI book, Rex: Zombie Killer and who acted as editor on the original project, did a story about how zombies helped King Leonidas and his army of 300 Spartans hold their own against immeasurable odds.

I should also mention that I write a regular column for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF.org) on the history of censorship in comics. It takes a lot of work to do those columns, but I believe the CBLDF is an important organization and am glad to help them in their mission to protect comic creators against censorship. I recently did articles on the rise and fall of romance comics, a before and after analysis of the comics code on reprinted books, and detailed histories of Sheena, Superman, and Wonder Woman. People with an interest in discovering the history of comics or censorship should check them out.

Next up for me, is my first non-fiction book, Comic Book Law, Cautionary Tales for the Comic Creator, from McFarland Press. It’s not a secret that I am an attorney and I find that when I appear at shows, I am often asked about the legal side of the business. People are always asking about the latest case or the history of a certain character. My upcoming book came up as a result of some my guest appearances on Comic Geek Speak and articles I’ve written for Ape Entertainment’s now defunct Comics Now! Magazine. Basically, Comic Law features the stories behind the cases. For example, most people know that DC Comics was sued over Superman by his original creators, but they probably don’t realize that the case was a roller coaster ride that took almost 70 years to resolve. In addition, the book provide guidance, but not legal advice, to comics creators who want to understand the basics behind concepts like copyright, trademark, contracts, and censorship and how they have relate to the comics industry. And while Comic Book Law is certainly not meant to be a “how to” book, there are a lot of good and bad examples of what creators can do to protect themselves. In addition, these behind the scenes stories should also be entertaining to non-creator comic book fans as a peek behind the curtain of the industry they love. For example, the book discusses the original inspiration for Josie and the Pussycats, explains why Captain Marvel became Shazam, and discusses how the Comics Book Code nearly killed the industry and resurrected the superhero. 

Do you have anything else to add?

Just to say “thank you.” To the people who have tried the book.  Readers are awesomely dedicated to books. I mean sure, as a writer, I have to be dedicated to creating the story and provide entertainment. But at the end of the day, I write for me—because I have a story to tell. I would write if no one ever read it. (For evidence of this, you should look at the sales figures for some of my earlier work). Readers on the other hand, have no such compulsion. They spend their valuable time and money on someone else’s work. There are a lot of great books out there by some amazing authors (living and dead). As a result, these people don’t need to take a chance on me (or any other unknown), but they do. I really appreciate that. And nothing is more rewarding than someone coming up to me at a show and telling me that they really loved my book, or that it is their daughter’s favorite book, or that they made (or had someone make them) a Sky Girl costume for Halloween or a ComicCon. If you want to know a secret, book festivals and comic conventions aren’t that lucrative for me (I rarely ever make my table cost). But, writing is pretty solitary, so the chance to meet people is priceless.

To these people, I say “Thank you!”

My author site is www.joesergi.net; Sky Girl can be found at www.SkyGirlNovel.com, and the official site for Great Zombies in History is www.GreatZombiesinHistory.com; my monthly column can be found at www.cbldf.org.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Joe. We wish you much success.

 

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An adorable story of acceptance and friendship awaits young readers in Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow by Salvatore “Sal” Barbera.

Mary Elizabeth arrives at the farm one day, but the other cows pay her no mind. They don’t want anything to do with a spotless cow. So she comes up with the ingenious idea of making spots out of mud. It’s enough to break the tension and convince the cows to talk and play with her. But what will happen when the spots come off?

Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow is a charming story of how one cow gained a new bunch of friends. None of the other cows on the farm want anything to do with Mary Elizabeth because she doesn’t have spots. Suddenly, she has spots and everyone wants to include her. Mary Elizabeth knows, however, that the other cows need to like her for her and not just because she looks like everyone else. This is a fabulous lesson to teach kids. Barbera offers up this message in a lighthearted, fun way. It’s not preachy. It’s not sappy. What I also thought was cute is that the cows played human games and used a certain office product. It’s clever and unexpected. I wasn’t fond of the overabundance of exclamation points in the text, but it didn’t distract from the wonderful story.

Like the story, the illustrations are whimsical and fun. This is a cute book your child will want to read time and again.

Rating:

Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Sweetles Press; 1st edition (July 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985061111
ISBN-13: 978-0985061111

During the month of October, purchase Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow from the Sweetles website for only $12.00 (List price: $17.99). When you buy this book, 50% of net proceeds go to Phoenix Children’s Hospital Child Life Program. Visit http://www.sweetles.com/product/books/mary-elizabeth-the-spotless-cow-book/ for more information.

I received a free PDF version of this book from the author. I have been paid to promote this book with a virtual book tour through Pump Up Your Book. This fee did not include a review. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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Mary Elizabeth The Spotless Cow Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

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October 1^st

Interview at Blogcritics

October 2^nd

Book spotlight at The Writer’s Life

October 3^rd

Book spotlight at As the Pages Turn

October 4^th

Book review at Alicia Finn Noack

October 7^th

Book spotlight at Literarily Speaking

October 8^th

Book spotlight at Between the Covers

October 9^th

Book spotlight at The Book Rack

October 10^th

Book review at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

October 11^th

Guest post at Paperback Writer

Book spotlight at Review from Here

October 14^th

Interview at Straight from the Author’s Mouth

October 15^th

Book spotlight at Broken Teepee

Book spotlight at Beyond the Books

October 16^th

Book review at Lynn’s Corner

Book trailer reveal at If Books Could Talk

October 17^th

Guest post at The Story Behind the Book

October 18^th

Interview at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

October 21^st

Book review at My Devotional Thoughts

Book spotlight at Deco My Heart

Book spotlight at A Year of Jubilee Book Reviews

October 22^nd

Book review at 4 the Love of Books

October 23^rd

Guest post at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase

October 25^th

Book review at Mary’s Cup of Tea

October 28^th

Book review at Thoughts in Progress

October 30^th

Book review at Maureen’s Musings

October 31^st

Book review at Blooming with Books

Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner

TBD

 Book review at Classic Children’s Books

Book spotlight at 4 the Love of Books

Book review at A Year of Jubilee Book Reviews

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Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy can no longer stand the toughness of her uncle and wants a better life. But one day she discovers not only the existence of magic, but also a villain hunting her down. The villain uses magic and magical technology to kidnap Alyssa to the Fiji Islands. As much as she wants to go home, she has to face some dangerous challenges first. Not only that, the villain himself must also be defeated. Can Alyssa succeed, even with the help of her mentors?

The Times with My Parents by Alyssa McCarthy

My name is Alyssa McCarthy. I am twelve years old and am currently living a tough life with my uncle and my cousin, Hailey. My aunt died when I was nine. When I was seven, though, I lost my parents.

The days before they died, though, were pretty cool. They used to take me to all kinds of cool places, like the park, county fair, and zoo. My dad was a high school math teacher and my mom was a bookkeeper. I grew up as the average middle-class child.

My mom wasn’t nearly as strict as my uncle, but like him, she was quite a health freak. I used to look at all the sugary cereals at the grocery store and even knew the names of the characters on them. But my mom wouldn’t let me buy them. She bought only whole grain products when it came to carbs. However, she would occasionally buy desserts and other junk foods when it came to special occasions.

She was also crazy about getting my hair to grow long and thick, like some Indian women have. I’ve had long hair ever since I was three, although it wasn’t down to my butt until I was in first grade. I remember on my first day of kindergarten, my mom massaged coconut oil into my hair. Kids said I smelled really good, and so I told them what it was. My mom would massage so many kinds of things into my hair from when she bathed me to when she brushed my hair. Being a health freak was also one of the reasons for making my hair grow long and thick.

My dad was more laid back then my mom. He would sometimes take me out for pizza and ice cream after my dance classes. He would also play outside with me on my playground and in the sandbox. Sometimes I preferred him than my mom.

Sadly, those days are over. I hate to say that I have and will continue to grow up without my parents. However, I have a godfather in Ohio, whom I am dying to live with. He was actually supposed to be my legal guardian if something happened to my parents. I hope everything gets better.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

Sunayna Prasad has been writing stories for over thirteen years, starting at the age of six. Now nineteen, she will start her junior year of college this fall, and will study accessory design as well as continue to write for children. Aside from that, Sunayna also likes to cook, watch movies, and draw. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her family.

Her latest book is the middle grade fantasy novel, Alyssa McCarthy’s Magical Missions: From Frights to Flaws.

Visit her website at www.SunaynaPrasadBooks.com.

 

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Today starts the virtual book tour for Beverly Stowe McClure’s A Pirate, a Blockade Runner, and a Cat. My first chapter review of this middle grade/tween paranormal is part of that tour. The author had sent me a copy of this book when it was first released.  It’s high time I read it.

BLURB: Thirteen-year-old Erik Burks’ life is falling apart. When he discovers a lace bra in the glove compartment of his dad’s car, his mom leaves his father and drags Erik from being king of the hill in Texas to the bottom of the pits in South Carolina. No Dad, no baseball, no friends, just Starry Knight (a girl who reads minds) and her equally weird brother, Stormy, the twins that live down the block.

Just when Erik thinks life can’t get any worse, while hanging out at the beach one evening, he and the twins notice lights radiating from the lighthouse. The only problem is the lighthouse was deactivated years ago. Stranger still, a ship materializes in the moonlit harbor. Curious, the twins and a reluctant Erik investigate and discover the ghost of a blockade runner, a phantom cat, and a pirate who prowls Charleston Harbor, all searching for rest.

A former nonbeliever in the existence of ghosts, Erik cannot deny the proof before him. And he has a revelation: The ghosts may be the answer to his desire to return home. Erik soon makes a deal with the ghosts. He’ll help them find what they’re looking for so their spirits can rest in peace. In return, the ghosts will scare Erik’s mother so she’ll be on the next flight back to Texas. Star thinks his plan stinks, but Erik wants his life back, even at the cost of his mother’s sanity.

COVER: This publisher has a lot of great covers, but I have to admit this is one of my favorites. The color, the fonts, the images, they all work together nicely. Kudos to the cover artist.

FIRST CHAPTER: Erik is feeling sorry for himself. His mom has uprooted him and moved to South Carolina where he’s got no Dad, no baseball, and no friends. There are those two freaky twins, Stormy and Starry Knight, but Erik is not having a grand time. He’s kind of tired of hearing about the light coming from the lighthouse–which is not likely since the lighthouse was deactivated years ago. Then when what looks like a ship appears, he’s had enough.

KEEP READING: I had the privilege of seeing this story in the pre-published stage, so I have to admit I knew I would keep going. What McClure has always done well is capture the emotions of her characters. Here’s this thirteen-year-old boy with a great life and great friends in Texas, maybe even a girl to admire, and suddenly he’s pulled from all that and brought to South Carolina where all he has is a set of freaky twins to hang out with. His mom keeps telling him he’s going to love it, but Erik isn’t convinced. Change can be hard for children, especially a move away from friends, and McClure captures that so well with Erik.

The ending of this chapter hints at what is to come, even if Erik isn’t ready to buy into anything yet. This makes for a smooth transition into the next chapter, as Erik walks home and contemplates what Stormy and Starry are telling him about the lights and the ship. I’m definitely eager to continue. I don’t know what additional edits have been performed since I first read this book, but everything I’ve read from this author has been fantastic.

Pages  240

ISBN  978-1-77127-219-3

I received a free copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Beverly Stowe McClure, a former teacher, is now enjoying a second career: writing. She never planned to be a writer, but in the classroom she and her students did such fun activities in art and science that she decided to write about some of them. Luckily, a few magazines liked what she sent them, and her articles have appeared in Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse, Jr., and others. Nine of her stories have been published as books, the latest one a MG/Tween eBook: A Pirate, a Blockade Runner, and a Cat. She also has two stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.

Beverly enjoys discovering her ancestors in her genealogy research. She plays the piano. (Thank you, Mom, for making encouraging me to practice.) She takes long walks where she snaps pictures of wildlife and clouds, and of course she reads, usually two books at a time. She teaches a women’s Sunday school class. Watching baseball (Go Rangers) is another of her favorite activities. Retirement is fun.

You can learn more about Beverly Stowe McClure at http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com or follow her blog at http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com.

 

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Typically I read the first chapter of a book, but with this short story collection, I am reading the first story in the book and discussing it.

BLURB: Little Nani is a little girl who likes helping people. However, when she helps people the results can be a bit unexpected. Why is that? Little Nani is a witch! Or at least she wants to be a witch. With her magic wand, she will try to cast different spells to help her friends, but she won’t be successful all the time. Follow Little Nani in her funny adventures and meet her extraordinary friends. Funny ostriches, horses that love reading, super-fast turtles, grumpy zombies… Little Nani has lots of friends! You can also draw your own characters! Little Nani is willing to become a good witch. Will she manage to do it? Who knows? Read the stories and discover what happens next!

COVER: Since the top illustration comes from the first story, I’m guessing these postage stamp or postcard type bordered illustrations contain drawings from different stories in the collection. I love the color scheme and the darker contrasting colors of the borders.

FIRST CHAPTER: The Funny Adventures of Little Nani is about a girl with a magic wand whose spells often go awry. In this opening story, “Little Nani and Some Unexpected Events,” Little Nani tries out the wand she got from a correspondence course and tries to make her friends, Big Billy and Skinny Nikki, grow up faster. That’s definitely not what happens.

This looks like it will be a cute book. I can only judge it based upon the first story I read, but all the characters have unique personalities and lovers of magic and fantasy will enjoy the horse who loves to read. Little Nani appears to be an independent-minded girl who leaps before she looks, which tends to create a bit of chaos for her and her friends. By including pauses in the story called “Drawing Time!” the author makes this an interactive adventure for young readers, who are asked to draw certain scenes from the book. I haven’t seen this before in a book, but I like it.

KEEP READING: If I were basing this review solely upon the uniquely crafted characters and the interactive aspect of it, I would say definitely. The thing that gives me pause is the dragged out dialogue. Big Billy appears riding a horse, which he tries to convince Little Nani to ride. She declines because she’s allergic to horses and can’t touch them. But as Big Billy points out, she’s stroking the horse’s head. It goes back and forth like this for a few seconds, before Skinny Nikki arrives. Skinny Nikki wants to ride, but Big Billy says no because he wants Little Nani to ride with him, to which Skinny Nikki replies, “But Little Nani won’t ride with you. She’s allergic to horses.” And then they start going on and on about how Little Nani wants to ride an ostrich, but she doesn’t have an ostrich, so she can’t ride one.

What I ended up doing is downloading another short story in the series for my Kindle (this book has all the stories in it, but they can also be purchased separately). It appears this dragged out conversation might be the way Little Nani interacts with others. In “Little Nani and The Flying Muffin” it is about how bored she is on a rainy day. She whines “I’m bored!” three times while Big Billy and Skinny Nikki get aggravated over her whining and Horse tries to convince her to listen to the story he’s reading to her.

Children probably won’t notice it. I just didn’t care for this style of conversation. I would probably still keep going. It’s one of those “don’t bite your nose off to spite your face” moments. If you like the characters and the story is funny, is it worth abandoning the book simply because one of the characters is a bit repetitive? No, you keep going and enjoy the rest.

Overall, this is a really cute story and I’m thinking it will be a hit with youngsters, especially those who enjoy humor.

File Size: 1577 KB
Print Length: 144 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00DGXKOWM

I downloaded a free sample of this book to my Kindle. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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A delightful book about tackling your fears awaits young readers in Meg the Egg by Rita Antoinette Borg.

Mother Hen is thrilled when her two chicks, Peg and Keg, hatch into the world. But Meg wants to stay in her egg because she is frightened by the noises she hears each night. No amount of coaxing from Mother Hen can convince Meg to hatch. When Howls the fox snatches Mother Hen off her nest, Meg the Egg decides she must push aside her fears to save her.

Facing your fears can be tough even for adults. In this charming picture book from Rita Antoinette Borg, children follow Meg as she taps into strength she doesn’t know she possesses to save her beloved mother who has been begging her to hatch. Showing kids that a bit of ingenuity goes a long way, Meg the Egg educates and entertains. Fun illustrations and onomatopoeia fill the pages of this empowering story.

This is a book children will want to read time and again. Just like the classic story of The Three Little Pigs, children will enjoy watching Meg face her fears and outsmart the fox.

Rating:

Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Lrg edition (June 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1466353147
ISBN-13: 978-1466353145

Last Day to Enter for Your Chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or

1 of 5 Free Electronic Copies of Meg the Egg!

Visit the book’s tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/04/01/pump-up-your-book-presents-rita-antoinette-borgs%E2%80%99s-meg-the-egg-book-blast-%E2%80%93-win-25-amazon-gift-card-and-free-books/ and complete the Rafflecopter form to enter this fabulous giveaway.

Rita Antoinette Borg was educated in New York and now resides on the Mediterranean island of Malta. She performs storytelling and creative writing workshops in schools across the country and works as a freelance writer for local magazines and newspapers. Ms. Borg has published four picture books aimed at early readers as well as an anthology of short stories for older children. Her books have been recognized by the Malta National Annual Literary Awards. Her book “Don’t Cross the Road, Holly!” was chosen as the year’s best Children’s Book in English. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators.

WEBSITE – FACEBOOK

I received a free ecopy of this book from the author. The author paid me a fee to promote this book through a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book. That fee did not include a review. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

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Cheryl, thanks for hosting me.  At the end of the tour, I will pick out one commenter’s name and send an autographed copy of Boo’s Bad Day to a United States address only.  If the name I pick is someone who lives outside the U.S., I will send a PDF copy of the book.  So remember, readers, be sure to leave contact information when you comment!

If your readers missed yesterday’s post, they can catch up at http://www.melanierobertson-king.com/wp02. Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting with http://rosgemmell.blogspot.com/.

Penny Lockwood has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications, and non‑fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications.  She edits for MuseItUp Publishing.  Visit her web site at http:// pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com. Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/.

She has recently released Boo’s Bad Day with 4RV Publishing and has three other children’s books under contract with them: Ghost for Rent, Ghost for Lunch, and Many Colored Coats. She has three romances published by MuseItUp Publishing: Love Delivery, Lady in Waiting, and Mirror, Mirror.  Her short story collection, A Past and A Future, is available through Sam’s Dot Publishing and Smashwords.

 Thank you for joining us today, Penny. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself?

I am a wife, a mom, and a grandmother.  I love animals and can’t remember not having at least one. (Most of my stories that have animals contain little adventures our animals have had.) I enjoy reading, mostly science fiction and fantasy, with an occasional romance. I’m a member of a wonderful women’s book group where I have to stretch myself and read other books I might not pick up on my own.

When I’m not involved in writing-related activities, I am a line editor for MuseItUP Publishing.  I love to putter in my garden, go for long walks, and in the evenings, I spend time watching a little TV and working on crocheting projects. I feel fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country, the Pacific Northwest.

When did you first get bit by the writing bug?

When I was a young child, my dad would tell us stories at bedtime.  I definitely got the bug by listening to his “tall tales.”  I remember thinking how great it was to be able to make up stories and entertain someone with them.  For my own entertainment, I wrote stories and illustrated them when I was in grade school and continued to enjoy creative writing through high school and college. My professional writing career was put on hold until much later.

Why did you decide to write stories for children?

As a mom and a grandmother, I’ve read a lot of books to my kids and grandkids.  I love watching them connect the letters on a page with words and their first struggles to read.  When I decided to write professionally, my children were fairly good readers, and I wanted to write stories they might enjoy.  Now, my “target” audience is my five-year-old granddaughter and my twenty-one-month-old grandson.

Do you believe it is harder to write books for a younger audience?

Yes, I do.  My current release, Boo’s Bad Day, is a picture book. I’ve also written two middle grade novels.  When writing for children, the author needs to be able to relate to the age level to which he or she is writing.  This means knowing what makes kids laugh, what scares them, and what they’re curious about.  It’s important to spend time with kids of the age level you are targeting.  When writing a picture book, you are limited to only a few pages and less than a thousand words. Yet, you have to tell a complete story including characters, obstacles for your character to overcome, and a resolution.  This can be quite challenging.

What is your favorite part of writing for young people?

Watching them become so involved in reading the story, they don’t want to put it down.  I can recall as a child, hiding under my blanket with a flashlight so I could keep reading after bedtime.  I love it now when my grandson asks his mom or dad to read “the kitty” book (Boo’s Bad Day).

Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?

Here’s the blurb and tagline for Boo’s Bad Day:

Tagline:

Boo sneaks out of the house and discovers that freedom by himself can be scary.

Blurb:

Boo is a very bored kitten. When Timmy and his mom return home, Boo sneaks out of the house.  Boo is frightened by the noises of the big world outside of the safety of his warm home.  When Timmy coaxes Boo back into the house, Boo realizes some places are safe and some are not.

What inspired you to write it?

Years ago, we had a black teenage cat by the name of Boo who had an adventure. He was an inside/outside cat and happened to be outside when an ice storm stuck.  We called him, but he didn’t come in.  We were, of course, worried and kept going outside to call him. We finally heard him meowing and located him over 50 feet up in a fir tree on our property.  He wouldn’t or couldn’t come down.  The next day, my husband tried climbing our tallest ladder but couldn’t reach him. We finally asked a friend, who was taller, to help out.  He was able to grab Boo and get him down. The poor kitty’s meows were getting sadder and sadder. He was so glad to get inside, he didn’t move from our woodstove for almost a week!

Where can readers purchase a copy?

From their local bookstore by ordering ISBN# 13: 978-0-9852661-5-8

Online from the publisher: 4RV – http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/penny-lockwood.php

$8.99 includes s/h

Or at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Boos-Bad-Day-Penny-Lockwood/dp/0985266155/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

$7.32 prime

What is up next for you?

I am finishing up edits for my two-book series Ghost for Rent and Ghost for Lunch, which will be packaged together and sold through 4RV Publishing.  Ghost for Rent was previously released as an ebook through a company no longer in business.  I’m looking forward to having it available in a newly edited and illustrated print edition.

We are getting excited about the birth of our newest granddaughter in July, so I’ll be taking some time off to help my daughter after Cora arrives.

I’ve got a couple of writing projects in progress including a new Ghost book and a NA/adult fantasy.

Do you have anything else to add?

I want to thank everyone who has been following along during Boo’s blog tour.  I also want to thank you again, Cheryl, for having me and for asking such insig

htful questions. (I might have to steal a couple of them for my own author interviews…) I also wanted to say how thrilled I am by the illustrations created by Deborah C. Johnson.  I couldn’t have asked for better. She did a fantastic job of capturing Boo’s expressions.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Penny. We wish you much success.

My review:

Boo’s Bad Day is an adorable story of one kitten’s adventure. Boo thinks being inside is boring, so when Timmy and his mom open the door on their return home, he sneaks out for a bit of excitement. He soon discovers, however, that the outside world is a scary place filled with loud noises and scary situations that make the inside look mighty inviting.

As I thought about this story, I realized that Boo is no different than a young child who wants to explore new things and then discovers the safety and comfort of normal everyday situations is good too. Written for children from ages 18 months up to six years, this charming adventure story engages and entertains. Lockwood’s prose indicates a knowledge of her intended market; and the simple text will help as youngsters transition from being read to, to reading independently.

The colorful artwork by Deborah C. Johnson is a delightful complement to Lockwood’s story. Children will enjoy watching the emotions play across Boo’s face from beginning to end.

Boo’s Bad Day is a wonderful book that I am thrilled to have as part of my children’s library.

Rating:

Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC (February 7, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985266155
ISBN-13: 978-0985266158

The author provided me with a PDF version of the book. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of this adorable book. Please include your email address so the author can contact you if you win.

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A true story of try and try again can be found in Bella Saves the Beach by award-winning children’s author, Nancy Stewart.

Bella is sad when her beloved beach is loaded with trash. But with her best friend Britt away on vacation, it’s harder to clean up the beach than she planned. Each new idea doesn’t bring about the desired result, but Bella is determined to make the beach safe and clean for her animal friends.

To someone who loves learning, a book like Bella Saves the Beach is so wonderful. This book has two messages. There’s the environmental one about how dangerous trash is to wildlife. Then there’s the “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” message. Combining them makes for a superbly told engaging story about one girl’s determination to make a difference.

From the beginning, Stewart’s Bella and Britt series has shown young readers that their ideas matter and how they can make a difference when it comes to caring for our planet and its creatures. In this new book, the author takes that message to a new level by leaving Bella to face the challenge without her best friend Britt’s support. Now it isn’t two kids making a difference. It’s one determined young girl.

At the end of the story, the author shares information on beach trash, facts about creatures mentioned within the book’s pages, and encourages readers to have a Green Picnic on the sand, leaving behind only footprints.

One can’t forget to mention the stunning watercolor artwork of Samantha Bell. She has illustrated all three books in this series. With warm colors and rich details, she brings Bella’s story to life in pictures. A perfect complement to Stewart’s story, the artwork is so lovely you can almost hear the waves hitting the sand and the caws of the birds.

Bella Saves the Beach is a fine addition to the Bella and Britt series. I can’t wait to see what Bella and Britt are up to next.

Rating:

Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (February 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616333715
ISBN-13: 978-1616333713

The author paid me to promote this book through a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book. This fee did not include a review. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

BELLA SAVES THE BEACH TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, April 22^nd

Guest post at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Tuesday, April 23^rd

Book trailer feature at If Books Could Talk

Wednesday, April 24^th

Book review at On Words – Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts

Thursday, April 25^th

Book spotlight and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily

Book review at Shannon Hitchcock Pen and Prose

Monday, April 29^th

Book review at Hook Kids on Reading

Guest post at The Pen and Ink

Tuesday, April 30^th

Guest post at Write What Inspires You

Wednesday, May 1^st

Book review at LadyD Books

Thursday, May 2^nd

Book review at Kid Lit Reviews

Friday, May 3^rd

Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner

Monday, May 6^th

Interview at Tribute Books Reviews and Giveaways

Tuesday, May 7^th

Book reviewed at The Picture Book Review

Wednesday, May 8^th

Book reviewed at My Devotional Thoughts

Thursday, May 9^th

Book review at It’s About Time Mamaw

Friday, May 10^th

Book review at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Monday, May 13^th

Book review at 4 the Love of Books

Tuesday, May 14^th

Book spotlight at Review from Here

Book review at The Jenny Revolution

Wednesday, May 15^th

Guest post at Literarily Speaking

Thursday, May 16^th

Book review at Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Reviews

Friday, May 17^th

Book spotlight at I’m A Reader, Not A Writer

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The gods are at war and only a farmer’s daughter can save the world from Armageddon.

The village magician has gone missing.  His four pupils think he has left a clue to his whereabouts in the Magicalis Bestialis–the book of magical creatures.  They must seek the help of the elusive Simurgh, the mythical birds who know all the secrets of the universe.

However, this is not an easy camping trip into the mountains.  Spirits, gods, and demons confront the four friends, who are not aware they’re being set up by otherworldly forces for a much larger task.

A farmer’s daughter, Faizah is chosen to lead the humans in the battle. She must persuade a slave, an orphan, and a rich merchant’s son to join in the battle on the side of good. Although divided by Dev, the evil god of war, the teens must band together to find the Simurgh, rescue their teacher, and stave off Armageddon.

Excerpt:

The Boys Have Their Say

*** Leave a comment for a chance to win a free ecopy of “Faizah’s Destiny.” ***

(Marva Dasef) I am the author of “Faizah’s Destiny” and decided the three boys in the story might like to share their views while Faizah isn’t in the room.

(Marva) I’m pleased to have Faizah’s three male companions here today for the interview. How are you doing?

(Parvaiz) Sure, make us out as secondary characters. Typical. Snorts in disgust.

(Marva) A little testy aren’t you? After all, the book is titled “Faizah’s Destiny” not “Parvaiz’s Destiny.”

(Harib) Sorry about Parvaiz, ma’am. He’s a little touchy since he was a slave all his life. He’ll loosen up the longer he’s free.

(Parvaiz) Easy for you, Harib. Your father is the richest man in the territory. He owns slaves!

(Bahaar) Hey, Parvaiz, lighten up. Harib or his father weren’t ever mean to slaves. His dad has even freed most of his workers, and they chose to stay on.

(Parvaiz) mumble…

(Marva) Hey, sorry to hit a sore spot Parvaiz. Maybe if you talked it out a little. Don’t you feel a little grateful to your father for adopting you as his son and heir?

(Harib) What’s that, Parvaiz? I don’t hearrrr youuuu!

(Parvaiz) Yeah, yeah. I am grateful to Ahmadj, but at my age it’s a little hard to adapt to having a father.

(Bahaar) I wish I had even a fake father to get used to. Me and my brother are all on our own. We don’t carry a chip around on our shoulder.

(Parvaiz) All right! I’m grateful! Now can we just drop it?

(Marva) Of course. Tell the readers about your search for Master Wafai.

(Harib) Jabs his hand in the air. Oh, me, me!

(Marva) Go ahead, Harib.

(Harib) One day, we all went to school in the morning at Master Wafai’s house. But he was gone and the room was a mess! We couldn’t think of anything other than he was kidnapped.

(Bahaar) You see, his herb bag was still there. He wouldn’t go anywhere to treat anybody without that. It had to be a kidnapping.

(Parvaiz) But Faizah doesn’t accept that story. Well, she didn’t say Wafai wasn’t kidnapped, but she thought he left a sign we were supposed to find the Simurghs to find out where he was.

(Marva) Why did she think that?

(Harib) His book of magical beasts was open to the page about the Simurghs and a big X was chalked on the page. She figured he’d never mark up a book except for good reason.

(Marva) So you all set out to search for the Simurgh?

(Parvaiz) No way! I thought it was an idiot idea. Faizah being a girl and all…

(Bahaar) interrupting Hey! Faizah can take care of herself. She made that pretty clear when she caught up to us.

(Harib) Yeah. She never hid behind her skirts or us. She always jumped in and started swinging. Remember when Raziq and his gang were beating you up?

(Bahaar) Huffs I could of taken them. But it was nice you and Faizah showing up to help.

(Marva) So, you’re saying at first that you all didn’t want Faizah to go along on the search, but you changed your mind.

(Parvaiz) Well, yeah. I didn’t know her like these guys. She pulled her weight once we got going. She even saved the rest of us from Pazuzu’s ill wind.

(Marva) Ill wind?

(Parvaiz) Yeah, it’s a demon who makes everybody sick. Most of the time, people die, but Faizah knew what plants to use to cure us.

(Marva) Speaking of demons, what was that all about?

Bahaar and Parvaiz turn noticeably red.

(Harib) That jerk demon didn’t take me over like these two.

(Bahaar) We apologized for that! It wasn’t our fault.

(Parvaiz) Right. Harib didn’t even have a very good demon try to tempt him to Dev’s side.

(Marva) Who’s this Dev?

(Parvaiz) God of war. What could we do? Both Bahaar and I wanted to be warriors, and the demons promised we would be great heroes.

(Harib) Yeah. All Nanghaithya did was try to make me feel bad. Not a good way to convince somebody to join the dark side.

(Marva) I know there’s plenty more to tell the readers about your search for Wafai, the battle with the demons, and so forth. But since I’d like to sell a few books, we’ll leave it for now and let folks read about it themselves.

Thank you, boys. You’ve been a great interview.

(Boys) Sure. Anytime. Hey how about a story starring me?

Purchase at: MuseItUp (all ebook formats): http://tinyurl.com/faizahsdestiny

Also available at Amazon, B&N, Nook, and other on-line stores

Marva Dasef lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two ungrateful cats. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several published books, including six since 2011 with MuseItUp Publishing. 

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/mdasefMarva/home

Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=wX#107073845875601488093/posts

Twitter Handle: @Gurina

Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarvaDasef/videos

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Little Meg finds the outside world a bit too loud and far too scary! So, she’s going to stay inside her safe white shell, thank you very much. But then the Howl breaks into the barn and steals Mother Hen! What is she supposed to do, still holed up in that egg of hers? She can’t run and she certainly can’t fly. Well, never get between a chick and her momma, cause this little bird’s got a can-do spirit and a whole lot of courage that she didn’t know she had before!

A tale of self discovery that speaks to all children’s fears of the unknown, Ms. Borg delivers a great read-aloud resource for parents and teachers alike. With an onomatopoeic construction that gives life to the story and encourages children to participate through repetition of words, noises, and actions, MEG THE EGG is the perfect story for beginning readers.

AMAZON – AMAZON KINDLE – BARNES AND NOBLE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rita Antoinette Borg was educated in New York and now resides on the Mediterranean island of Malta. She performs storytelling and creative writing workshops in schools across the country and works as a freelance writer for local magazines and newspapers. Ms. Borg has published four picture books aimed at early readers as well as an anthology of short stories for older children. Her books have been recognized by the Malta National Annual Literary Awards. Her book “Don’t Cross the Road, Holly!” was chosen as the year’s best Children’s Book in English. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators.

WEBSITE – FACEBOOK

 

Pump Up Your Book and Rita Antoinette Borg are teaming up to give you a chance to win fabulous prizes!

Here’s how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour. This promotion will run from April 22 – May 17, 2013. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on May 20, 2013. Each blogger who participates is eligible to enter and win. Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the Rafflecopter form doesn’t load, you can visit the Meg the Egg tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/04/01/pump-up-your-book-presents-rita-antoinette-borgs%E2%80%99s-meg-the-egg-book-blast-%E2%80%93-win-25-amazon-gift-card-and-free-books/ for your chance to enter and win!

MEG THE EGG TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, April 22^nd

Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, April 23

The Children’s and Teen’s Book Connection

Wednesday, April 24^th

The Writer’s Life

Thursday, April 25^th

As the Pages Turn

Friday, April 26^th

The Busy Mom’s Daily

Monday, April 29^th

LadyD Books

Tuesday, April 30^th

Tribute Books Reviews and Giveaways

Wednesday, May 1^st

Classic Children’s Books

Thursday, May 2^nd

My Devotional Thoughts

Friday, May 3^rd

Review from Here

Saturday, May 4^th

Bea’s Book Nook

Monday, May 6^th

Mayra’s Secret Bookcase

Tuesday, May 7^th

Paperback Writer

Wednesday, May 8^th

Read For Your Future

Thursday, May 9^th

Freda’s Voice

Friday, May 10^th

Lori’s Reading Corner

Monday, May 13^th

Books for Kids

Tuesday, May 14^th

Wednesday, May 15^th

Literal Exposure

Thursday, May 16^th

4 the Love of Books

Friday, May 17^th

The Crypto-Capers Review

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Bella and Britt are worried about all the trash appearing on their beautiful beach. But what can they do? Britt is leaving on vacation, and Bella can’t solve the problem alone. Without adults to lend a hand, can they possibly save their beach?

Purchase from:

NANCYSTEWARTBOOKS.COM

 GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING 

AMAZON

 BARNES AND NOBLE

Earth Day—Every Human’s Responsibility
by Nancy Stewart

Ah, yes, Earth Day.  We think about it once a year.  Celebrate it?  Let’s not go overboard.  After all, aren’t the governments of the world doing something about it—whatever it is?

Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the plane.  It has come a long way from then with one hundred forty countries around the globe participating this year.  And counting.  Earth Day, very much like Earth Hour, has taken on a life of its own.

Here is one of the most outstanding projects we should be talking about for Earth Day, 2013. It is The Canopy Project. Over the past three years, this project has planted over 1.5 million trees in 18 countries.  In the US, projects to restore urban canopies have been completed in many large cities.  In Haiti alone, where earthquakes caused landslides on deforested hillsides, leading to horrific devastation, Earth Day Network planted 500,000 trees.  In three high-poverty districts in central Uganda, they planted 350,000 trees to provide local farmers with food, fuel, fencing, and soil stability.

Climate change can seem like a remote problem for our leaders, but the fact is that it’s already impacting real people, animals, and beloved places. These Faces of Climate Change are multiplying every day. What can be done about it?  Each of us, individually, can make a difference.  When we all do our share, the entire world can begin to heal itself.

I’ve pledged to not use plastic bags, to using cold water in the washing machine and to using earth friendly cleaning products.  We’ve changed all light bulbs to save electricity, and they are turned off when leaving a room.  I remind students when doing a book signing that turning off a light helps save a polar bear!

But it’s more than these things, isn’t it?  Helping save our planet is really a state of mind.  It’s being in the flow of good ecology every day, even every minute. And soon, it’s a way of life.  Living this state of mind will help save all our lives and the lives of those to come, our children and our grandchildren. What better ongoing gift can we give to anyone than a sustainable, green and whole planet?  Oh, and it’s not, of course, just April 22.  It’s every day, every minute for the rest of our lives.

 

Nancy is the bestselling and award winning author of the four Bella and Britt Series books for children:  One Pelican at a Time (eighteen weeks on Amazon Bestselling List), Sea Turtle Summer, (which won the Children’s Literary Classic Gold Award), Bella Saves the  Beach (which won the Gold)  and Mystery at Manatee Key.  The authorized biography, Katrina and Winter:  Partners in Courage, is the story of Katrina Simpkins and Winter, the dolphin. One Pelican at a Time and Nancy were featured in the PBS Tampa special, GulfWatch.   All are published by Guardian Angel Publishing.  

Nancy is a frequent speaker and presenter at writer’s conferences throughout the United States.  She conducts workshops and seminars and speaks to school children on writing and helping save their planet.  A blogger with a worldwide audience, she writes of all things pertaining to children’s literature. 

Nancy’s travels take her extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa. She is US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education.   She and her husband live in Tampa and St. Louis. 

 Visit her online at www.nancystewartbooks.com and her blog at http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

 

Bella Saves the Beach Tour Schedule

 

Monday, April 22^nd

Guest post at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Tuesday, April 23^rd

Book trailer feature at If Books Could Talk

Wednesday, April 24^th

Book review at On Words – Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts

Thursday, April 25^th

Book spotlight and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily

Book review at Shannon Hitchcock Pen and Prose

Monday, April 29^th

Book review at Hook Kids on Reading

Guest post at The Pen and Ink

Tuesday, April 30^th

Guest post at Write What Inspires You

Wednesday, May 1^st

Book review at LadyD Books

Thursday, May 2^nd

Book review at Kid Lit Reviews

Friday, May 3^rd

Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner

Monday, May 6^th

Interview at Tribute Books Reviews and Giveaways

Tuesday, May 7^th

Book reviewed at The Picture Book Review

Wednesday, May 8^th

Book reviewed at My Devotional Thoughts

Thursday, May 9^th

Book review at It’s About Time Mamaw

Friday, May 10^th

Book review at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Monday, May 13^th

Book review at 4 the Love of Books

Tuesday, May 14^th

Book spotlight at Review from Here

Book review at The Jenny Revolution

Wednesday, May 15^th

Guest post at Literarily Speaking

Thursday, May 16^th

Book review at Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Reviews

Friday, May 17^th

Book spotlight at I’m A Reader, Not A Writer

 

 

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Yves Robichaud is originally from the small Acadian community of Grand-Barachois, New Brunswick, Canada. He has studied Business Administration and Information Technology, currently works for the federal government, and is the proud father of one son: Jeremy. Inspired by a love of fantastical, magical tales, Kaylen’s Rising is Yves’ first attempt to share this literary passion with his son and the rest of the world.

Thank you for joining us today, Yves. Can you please start off by telling us a bit about yourself?

Sure, I’m a 40 year-old French-speaking Canadian of Acadian descent. I live near the city of Moncton, New Brunswick, on the East coast of Canada. I literally live a two-minute walk from the beach. It’s beautiful here in the summertime. I love sports, mainly softball, golf and hockey. I also enjoy reading, jogging, traveling and playing poker. I have a university degree in business and also a course in IT from a private college. Most of my work experience has been in the fields of business or IT. I currently work for the federal government. I’m also the proud father of a 13 year-old son, Jérémy.

When did you first get bit by the writing bug?

I think that my writing experience is a bit different than most. You see, I never really wanted to be a writer. It’s just kind of something that happened. I know this sounds silly, but it’s true. You know how sometimes a song repeats in your head over and over and you can’t get rid of it? Well for me, this story popped into my head and just wouldn’t go away. Every time I thought about it, I would add a bit to the story. I had the entire plot mapped out in my head even before I started writing anything down. Once my son was old enough, I decided that it would be a great idea for me to share this story with him. It’s only when I started typing it all up that I realized that I truly enjoyed writing. I guess you could say that I caught the writing bug at that point.

Why did you decide to write stories for children?

I decided to write the story for my son. I wanted to share it with him. Given that he is currently 13 years old, the book ended up targeting that age group.

Do you believe it is harder to write books for a younger audience?

No, I don’t think so. I think it’s important to be able to relate to your audience. Whether you’re writing for children, adults or seniors, the important thing is to be able to put yourself in their shoes and write about something that would interest them in a way that they understand. Besides, kids are way more fun! J

What is your favorite part of writing for young people?

For me, the best part about writing for children is seeing their reaction. Kids don’t have much for filters so they don’t hesitate to tell you (or show you) how they feel. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to present my book at local schools. Seeing the reactions from the kids made it all worthwhile. My son was so proud of me presenting at his school that he walked over and gave me a high five after the presentation. It was a great feeling. I’ve witnessed kids rushing over to see me after the presentations so that I could sign their bookmarks. It’s also touching to receive an email or Facebook message from a child explaining how they loved your book.

Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?

Kaylen’s Rising is coming-of-age story about a young elf named Kaylen who lives in a city built underground. Kaylen envies most kids his age because he sees them wielding weapons and learning magic. His parents forbid him to do such things. The other kids pick on Kaylen and label him an outcast. Kaylen’s parents finally relent and allow him to attend school for the first time. There, he learns that his people are at war with the humans. He also learns that he has a very unique magical ability to summon skeletons. Kaylen’s life will never be the same.

What inspired you to write it?

Initially, I decided to write the story to share it with my son. He motivated me to put it on paper. Once I started writing and discovered my passion for it, I decided to share this passion with my son too. He played a huge part in the writing and editing processes. I enjoyed reading to him the evolving storyline as it unfolded. Without a doubt, he was my inspiration.

Where can readers purchase a copy?

For now the books are only stocked at local bookstores in Moncton, NB. The book is available for order at several websites online such as Amazon, Smashwords and the Friesenpress bookstore.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

My website/blog is www.yvesrobichaud.com. On there you will find out more on Kaylen’s Rising such as the book trailer, reviews, pictures, etc. I also write book reviews, so that’s something that might interest readers.

What is up next for you?

I’m still working hard on the marketing of Kaylen’s Rising. I have a book launch party coming up. I also have an author-signing event at a local bookstore. Finally, I am continuing to do presentations at local schools. At the same time, I have already started on the sequel and have plans to do a trilogy.

Do you have anything else to add?

As part of Kaylen’s Rising’s book launch, I’m having a giveaway of amazing prizes such as a Kindle Fire HD and Amazon gift cards. For more information, please check out my website at www.yvesrobichaud.com.

Thank you for spending time with us today, Yves. We wish you much success.

 

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Today, I'm part of Jo Linsdell's virtual book tour for her new children's book Fairy May. And, she has helpful guest post for us on book marketing.

Building a platform and promoting a book

Guest Post by Jo Linsdell

We all know that having a platform is important. Having a recognised author brand with thousands of blog readers and social media followers is fantastic but it's not enough. You need to make it easy for people to buy your book too.

Even the most famous of authors do 'launches' for their new releases. I'm not saying that working on building your platform is wrong. Far from it. Building a strong author platform is very important. It gives you an audience and establishes you as an expert in your field. You need to put your latest release in front of people though if you want them to buy it.

Ways you can promote your book:

•    A virtual book tour. This is where you organise to be hosted on blogs and for social media chats, radio interviews etc... over a set period of time. A virtual book tour can include anything from interviews, guest posts, book spotlights and reviews to Facebook wall chats, live twitter interviews and more.
•    Do a give away. Offer a free give away to anyone who buys a copy of your book within a set time frame and promote it via social media. An example could be a short ebook.
•    Create a contest. This can be done via Goodreads or social media sites like Facebook. For a chance to win a valuable prize, people need to buy a copy of your book.
•    Place ads for targeted promotion. This can be done by using targeted advertising on Facebook or by placing a banner on a website that reaches your target audience.
•    Reach out to book clubs. Get your book on the reading list and offer a chance to chat either by visiting the group in person by via Skype.
•    Do a book signing. This can be an in person event at a bookstore or other location or online using a site like Author Graph.

What are some of the platform or promotional activities you've done?

Now on to Fairy May.


Fairy May dreams of one day becoming a tooth fairy but she struggles at school and always seems to get things wrong. With hard work and determination she prepares for her test. Will she realise her dream and become a tooth fairy?

Product details:

Title: Fairy May
Author/Illustrator: Jo Linsdell
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1481951424
ISBN-13: 978-1481951425
Release Date: 1st February 2013

You can get your copy of Fiary May today at:

Amazon 
Createspace

Jo Linsdell is an award winning blogger and freelance writer living in Rome , Italy . She is also the author of several books including the popular Italian for Tourists, A Guide to Weddings in Italy  and the best selling children's picture book Out and About at the Zoo. Her latest book Fairy May was released on 1st February 2013. You can find out more about her a:

Author website: http://www.jolinsdell.com

Contact details:
Email: [email protected]

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Hello my fine feline friends, the Daemons in the Mist Virtual Book Tour kicks off tomorrow Saturday June 9th and runs through June 23rd. We’ll be joining a lot of fabulous bloggers, so be sure to check out the blogs below on their tour dates to find some awesome Daemons content!

How could this get more awesome?

By visiting the tour stops below and participating in the fun, you will go into the drawing to win the grand prize giveaway. A signed print edition of the book, a Marked Ones art prize pack and a custom portrait of yourself transformed into a daemon, complete with awesome horns!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Pre Tour Wrap Twitter Party

Date: June 23rd
Time: 12pm PST
Location: Twitter hashtag #daemons or Tweetchat for easy use.

At the pre-wrap party I’ll be answering reader questions live on twitter so come join the fun! You can ask anything from what’s Patrick’s favorite manga to how I get my ideas.

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Tour Wrap Party

Date: June 23rd
Time: 1pm PST
Location: the Daemons in the Mist Google+ page

We’ll have a few special guests, prizes, trivia and the grand prize winner revealed!

More info to come!

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Tour Stops

Saturday, June 09

Review & giveaway @ A Pocket Full of Books
Review, Daemons in the Mist soundtrack & giveaway @ Pages of Forbidden Love
Giveaway @ Ren’s Rambles
Daemons trivia contest @ Young Readers
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Sunday, June 10

Interview & Review @ YA SciFi Author’s Ramblings
Guest Post @ Shevi
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Monday, June 11

Feature & giveaway @ A Tale of Many Reviews
Review & giveaway @ Frozen8′s Blog
Guest Post-Book trailer creation & giveaway @ Teen Librarians Toolbox
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Tuesday, June 12

Interview & giveaway @ Scribing Shadows
Interview @ Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
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Wednesday, June 13

A World Set to Music: Daemons in the Mist soundtrack & giveaway @ Magnet 4 Books
Guest Post @ YA Bound
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Thursday, June 14

Review, mini interview & giveaway @ All Things Me
Interview @ 0 Comments on DITM Virtual Book Tour as of 1/1/1900