Beverly Stowe McClure's Blog: Enter Beverly's World of Writing, page 10

What to Do on a Snowy Day

My Snowman, Paul by Yossi Lapid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What do many kids like to do when it snows? Right. Build a snowman. MY SNOWMAN, PAUL, by Author Yossi Lapid, is the story of a boy and a snowman, but not just any snowman. This snowman is different.

Dan, his mom and sister, and an adorable dog are watching the snow, and Dan is in the mood to play. So, Mom suggests he build a snowman. He does and makes an amazing discovery. I don’t want to give anything away, but what follows is a fun afternoon for Dan and his new friend. The author has written a story that will have young readers laughing and wanting to build a snowman like Dan’s.

Written in rhyme, with adorable illustrations by Joanna Pasek, MY SNOWMAN, PAUL is an ideal story for those long winter days or for sunny summer days. The book is an ideal addition for school libraries, public libraries, and your own library. Even better, it’s the first book of a series. Recommended. I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.




View all my reviews

A Story That Will Touch Your Heart

The Scarlet Thread by D.S. Murphy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What if you lived in an institution where children were sent when their parents could no longer stand to look at them? What if you were a murderer? What if you were cursed? And you’re only seventeen-years-old. It doesn’t sound like a pretty life, does it?

In THE SCARLET THREAD, by D. S. Murphy, we meet Kaidance Monroe, the girl who killed her brother. But in this novel, nothing is as it seems. Kaidance sees things before they happen. If she touches someone, they die, and she can’t stop it. Poor Kai, caught in a world she has no control over.

Kai is tough; she’s also vulnerable. How does a teen deal with gods, immortals, and magic? In a way only Kai could. I really like her and hoped she’d find happiness. She faces life the best she can, and there are a lot of surprises awaiting her.

The story is not complete. But there’s more to come.

THE SCARLET THREAD is a good read. I don’t know a lot about mythology, but I met some interesting characters in this book. The author did a nice job of creating suspense, along with characters I either liked or hoped got what they deserved.




View all my reviews

Great Advice for Authors

How to Write a Children's Book by Katie Davis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S BOOK by Katie Davis has lots of great advice for authors, both published and those hoping for their first book. Some of the topics covered discuss where you find ideas(sometimes in unusual places). It also covers writing basics and just about everything else a writer needs to begin the journey of becoming a published author. If you’re needing help with writing for children, take a look at this book. I think you’ll be glad you did.
###




View all my reviews

A Book for Writers.

How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors by Alinka Rutkowska

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The title of this non-fiction book, HOW I SOLD 80, 000 BOOKS, sure caught my attention. If I ever sell that many books, I think I’ll faint. Love the idea of it, though. Perhaps you’ve sold this many books, or even more. Congratulations to you. If you’re like me, though, and even a sale or two makes you smile, but you want more people to read your work, then take a look at Alinka Rutkowska’s book.

The author talks about the 4Ps: Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. She explains each, from critique groups and all the steps that follow. She also provides links for more information. Even though I’ve been in the business for a while, I learned a lot from this book. I think you will too.
###




View all my reviews

A Journal and Activity Book

Giving Imagination Wings: A Creative Journal and Activity Book by PK Hrezo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Do you keep a diary or journal? Do you like having your own special space, where you can dream, or create paintings, or stories, or wherever your imagination takes you? You say you do. Then you need to check out Author PK REZO’s lovely book GIVING IMAGINATION WINGS, A CREATIVE JOURNAL AND ACTIVITY BOOK.

The cover, with its delicate flowers and the Pixie in a jar, hints at what you’ll find when you open the book. First, the author introduces the book to the reader. She says: “This journal is designed to get your creative juices flowing and spark your imagination so that it can fly free.” And the journal does exactly what PK REZO says it will do.

She talks about being “perfect.” No one is. That statement makes me feel really good, knowing I’m not alone when I mess up. She describes each activity and provides lined pages to write our activities on. CLEVER CHAOS and INSPIRATION STATION encourage the reader’s imagination, and we’re reminded our activities don’t have to be orderly. Perfect for me, who lives in a state of chaos.

Scattered throughout the book are pictures of PK’s Pixies, her adorable fairy tale creations. This is the perfect book for children and adults alike. Why not pick up a copy or two or three for yourself and for young people you know. I hope to start my journey through the book this week and see if I’m successful in CHARMING THE MUSE, one of the activities. Recommended.

A copy of this book was provided to me for my honest review.



View all my reviews

Giving Imagination Wings

Do you keep a diary or journal? Do you like having your own special space, where you can dream, or create paintings, or stories, or wherever your imagination takes you? You say you do. Then you need to check out Author PK REZO’s lovely book GIVING IMAGINATION WINGS, A CREATIVE JOURNAL AND ACTIVITY BOOK.

The cover, with its delicate flowers and the Pixie in a jar, hints at what you’ll find when you open the book. First, the author introduces the book to the reader. She says: “This journal is designed to get your creative juices flowing and spark your imagination so that it can fly free.” And the journal does exactly what PK REZO says it will do.

She talks about being “perfect.” No one is. That statement makes me feel really good, knowing I’m not alone when I mess up. She describes each activity and provides lined pages to write our activities on. CLEVER CHAOS and INSPIRATION STATION encourage the reader’s imagination, and we’re reminded our activities don’t have to be orderly. Perfect for me, who lives in a state of chaos.

Scattered throughout the book are pictures of PK’s Pixies, her adorable fairy tale creations. This is the perfect book for children and adults alike. Why not pick up a copy or two or three for yourself and for young people you know. I hope to start my journey through the book this week and see if I’m successful in CHARMING THE MUSE, one of the activities. Recommended.

A copy of this book was provided to me for my honest review.

HEART STOPPER AND OTHER STORIES

Author Tamara Narayan has written four short stories that will have you holding your breath, wondering how the characters will solve the situations they find themselves in. The author is a master at keeping the reader guessing what will happen next, at least she did me.

“Heart Stopper,” the first story in HEART STOPPER AND OTHER STORIES, is about Dallas Radner, his eleven-year-old daughter, Tessa, and his wife, a flight attendant who’s seldom home. When things start disappearing, like Tessa’s Tylenol (she has heart problems), curtains, and even their pictures and shoes, the mystery begins. Who is taking the objects and why, since they have little value, except to Dallas and his daughter. If you like to solve mysteries, you have a good one here to work on. I hadn’t a clue.

In the second story, “Detour,” Chloe, who would graduate from UT in two weeks, just wants to get away from Kostya, her boyfriend, and be home again. So she borrows her friend’s car and heads that way. She hadn’t counted on running out of gasoline, but she does, out in the middle of nowhere, and she left her cell behind, no way to get help. The author catches Chloe’s fear and the things that she imagines will happen perfectly.

Do you ever have dreams that seem so real you wonder if they might happen? In the third story, “One Step Away,” Darryl’s wife has left him, his son, Andrew, is growing up without him, and he has acrophobia, dating back to his childhood. Because of his fear of heights, he lost his son and his wife and is in “Behavior Therapy” to heal him. Will Darryl overcome his fears, or will he live forever in a one-story house?

Then there’s “Monitor” a story about mice and accidents and baby monitors. What? How do these things all work together. Read the story to find out. I dare you.

Tamara Narayan creates characters with problems that could be real and also a bit of mystery and magic, perhaps. An enjoyable read.

Audio Book Giveaway

Do you enjoy listening to audio books? If you answered, "Yes," hop on over to my blog for a chance to win a free audio book of my Award-winning YA novel Under a Purple Moon.

Yes, I'm giving away two free audio books. It's really easy too. The rules are on my blog at:

https://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot....

Hope to see you there. Good luck.

Beverly Stowe McClure

A Story of Survival

City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Refugee: a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disasters. The world today, as in the past, is filled with refugees, searching for a home, a place of safety for their families. Some find happiness, but sadly, others do not.

The novel CITY OF SAINTS & THIEVES, by Author Natalie C. Anderson, is the story of sixteen-year-old Tina, a refugee from the Congo. Her mother is dead, murdered by Mr. Grayhill, her employer, or so Tina believes. Her younger sister, Kiki is on scholarship at a boarding school, and Tina is a member of the Goondas, the gang in Sangui City. Not exactly the new life her mother had wanted for her children. Tina’s goal in life is to watch the wealthy Mr. Grayhill’s world crumble around him. Then she’ll kill him, the way he did her mother. But life is complicated, and Tina soon learns the truth about Mr. Grayhill’s family, as well as about her own.

Natalie C. Anderson has created characters that seem human. They’re not perfect. They have their faults, as well as their good points. Tina is tough. She had to be to survive. She’ll also do most anything to get her revenge. When it comes to her younger sister, though, she’s loving and caring and gentle. Her emotions about Michael, Mr. Grayhill’s son and her friend, are even more complicated.

Tina’s search for the truth, the choices she makes, and what she discovers about her family make for a fascinating read. CITY OF SAINTS & THIEVES is filled with action, violence, tender moments, and a girl’s coming of age. This novel would make a great addition to middle school classrooms and libraries, as well as to public libraries and your own. Recommended.

The publisher provided me with an ARC for my honest review.




View all my reviews

Audio Book Out

I'm so excited to share the latest news with you. The Audio Book is now out for my YA Contemporary Novel UNDER A PURPLE MOON.
You can find it at these places.

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCLQ6G5/


Audible

http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Under...

ITunes

https://fnd.io/#/us/audiobook/1187436...

If you have a chance to listen to it, please let me know what you think. This is my first.