M.M. Hudson's Blog, page 20

The Invisible Sword of Flames by Patricia Okongwu #ChristianFantasy

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xeflmF

An action-packed adventure, Dragon of Darkness, is a fantasy tale of bravery, full of divine power, mystery, and twists! The power of the forever one clashes with the dragon of darkness.

 The Followers of the Forever One are destined to defeat the giant dragon of darkness. The group of five brothers and their sister must overcome their fear to conquer the monster while preserving the waning faith of the people following the Forever One. Until Mathias is placed in the line of danger, and he’s forced to defend himself against the threat of peril. Will the Followers prevail and return peace to the land of Perea, or will they fall to defeat? 

 In The Invisible Sword of Flames Series one, readers will join the believers on their quest to strengthen the people’s faith and become empowered through the word of the Forever One. An action-packed adventure in Dragon of Darkness, the first installment in a thrilling fantasy series full of divine power, mystery, and twists! Book One of five in The Invisible Sword of Flames Series.

 

Guest Post: Give Your Pet A Chip Spotlight: DAWGS by Diane Trull #giveaway #animals #rescues

Today I am welcoming and featuring another guest poster for my blog.  Also, I am spotlighting the book DAWGS by Diane Trull. Welcome Meredith Wargo, take it away.

Give Your Pet a Chip

While everybody knows today is Valentine’s Day, very few people realize it is also Pet Theft Awareness

Day. It’s sad that there has to be a day dedicated to bringing awareness to the increasing number of pet

theft and dognapping cases but the concept behind this day is to serve as a reminder to take the

necessary steps to keep your pet from becoming a statistic in the first place.

Microchipping is one of the latest technological advances that helps keep our pets safe. Microchips are

permanent IDs that are implanted into your pet’s skin. They don’t replace a tag and collar, but they can

make a significant difference in bringing home a lost or stolen pet.

Here are a few tips for making sure you get the most benefit out of your pet’s microchip:

 Be sure to register your pet’s microchip and keep your contact information current. If you change

phone numbers or move, contact the company that provided the microchip and update your

information in their system.

 Have your pet’s microchip scanned annually to be sure it’s working correctly. The best time to do

this is when you take your pet in for his yearly check-up.

 The U.S. doesn’t have a national microchip database that houses all microchipped information. So

be aware that if your pet is microchipped in one state but gets lost in a different state, the chip

reader may not detect the microchip.

 Matted fur can make detection of a microchip difficult. Keep your pet well-groomed to ensure best

results when scanning for a microchip.

Do your pets a favor ~ don’t skip the chip!

SPOTLIGHT: DAWGS

About the book:

Elementary-school teacher Diane Trull's life-defining moment happened when her fourth-grade reading class saw a photo of a cardboard box overflowing with homeless puppies. Trull was no stranger to rescuing abandoned animals. She and her husband Mark had made it their mission to find permanent homes for stray dogs and cats. Now her young students were determined to save these lost pups and others like them. And in that moment, the Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary--known as DAWGS--was born.

How Trull and her fourth graders started their own animal shelter is a story of dedication, commitment, and perseverance. In this eye-opening, deeply personal book, Trull describes the challenges they faced, from rescuing and caring for the animals to teaching children about compassion and responsibility, to facing local interests opposed to having a shelter in their town. She shares inspiring stories about animals and animal lovers of all ages in this moving story of hope and compassion. DAWGS is a testament to how love and a strong measure of determination can offer second chances--one animal, one child, and one day at a time.

:

Facebook:  @meredithwargo.freelancewriter

 

Instagram: @merebear1961 

Giveaway:

Enter to win author signed copy of DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them (one winner) (USA only) (ends Mar 3)

https://gleam.io/pzqIS/dawgs-book-tour-giveaway

The World Small by Kelly Anne Manuel #Poetry #childrensbooks

"The World Small" was born as a poem and remains so in this newly minted Book Two of Kelly Anne Manuel's Essentials Series. In this story the Child is invited to experience their sleep time ritual with the comfort of Nature nearby.

 It is a remarkable combination of relaxation yet imagination igniting prose. "The World Small" offers a standing invitation to the Child. The Child will learn that no matter where they are on the planet, Nature has common elements. She is always available for discovery and wonder.

In the story Nature is personified as a unifying presence to our planet. The simple words take on new meaning as the illustrations pair perfectly with their presentation. The illustrations spark curiosity as they start with a map and end with the evening sky. The story identifies common elements such as the sky, sun, clouds and rainbows, to create continuity for any number of on the topic. It is in Early Childhood that a Child's view of the world and their place in it is under major construction.

 

Find author:

Goodreads

Amazon

Black Boy, Black Boy by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond #BlackHistoryMonth #dreambig #childrensnonfiction

About the book:

Inspiring book that allows  black boys to imagine all the great things they can do while celebrating remarkable moments from Black history!

My review:

Walt Disney was quoted as saying, "If you can dream it, you can do it." 

Martin Luther King had a dream he looked to fulfill and he did it, along with other black boys and men like President Barack Obama and Arthur Mitchell. These are just a few of the nine men highlighted in this awesome children's book aimed at black boys.

This book is illustrated by Ken Daley with large and bold pictures. Each follows a rainbow road to a different person that highlights the person's achievement. Each page gives black boys the opportunity to set their life like each man and to dream big.

I love this book and highly recommend it! 5 stars!!!

PS. I have heard through the grapevine that there will be a second book out from black girls. I cannot wait to read that one too!

Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book for review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

What the Monkey Saw by Lynn Chandler Willis #review #crimenovels

About the book:

When F.B.I. agent Emily Gayle’s partner is brutally murdered, Emily forsakes her career at the bureau and re

turns home to the North Carolina mountains to care for her disabled father. Guilt ridden over leaving her partner alone to die, Emily takes a job as an end-of-life caregiver.

Deep in Appalachia, Jude Courtland is desperate for a fast buck to pay for his grandmother’s chemotherapy. Together with his brother Crispin and cousin Devo, the trio takes to hijacking insulin delivery vans and selling the stolen drugs on the black market. When Emily is assigned to cancer patient Hazel Courtland, the line separating right and wrong begins to blur.

As the hijackings escalate and turn violent, Emily’s intuition hones in on startling evidence she can no longer ignore.
Struggling with the truth, Emily is torn between her conscience and her loyalty to a dying woman. With her own life in jeopardy, Emily’s forced to take a side. Right or wrong, the consequences are deadly.

My review:

I was initially intrigued by the title of the book, although not that great of a cover but still intrigued. However, for the most part, this book has nothing to do with a monkey which isn't even secondary to the whole story. I think just making the title "Death Doula" would have actually been better.

So, the story was intriguing in itself because who steals insulin? These guys did and for a dang good reason but the trouble they go through just to steal it is too much. The twist near the end of the book tells just how much and as the synopsis says, "turns deadly" and actually, rather heartbreaking. This reader knew it was coming but the book took forever just to get there. In other words, the book was a slow read.

I did love the compassion that was given by the character Emily for the dying patient Hazel. This part of the book was a hard read for me as it hit too close to home. I was disappointed that the character, Jude, was also compassionate throughout the entire book but gets to the end and whammo, change in personality. The love he had versus the person he supposedly was...well, again, disappointing for the two main characters. The ending like I said was not surprising but yet...

I am giving this book a 3 star. I think with a little bit less in some areas and a little bit more in others, this could be a solid 4.

Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from the author. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Where to find the author:

Amazon * Goodreads

Guest Post: Writer's Block Spotlight: The Blood of Faeries by Dan RIce #YAFantasy

Allison Lee wilts under the bright light of celebrity after being exposed as a shape-shifting monster. She'd rather be behind the camera than in front of it. Being under the tooth and claw of her monstrous mother is even less enjoyable. All she desires is for everything to go back to the way things were before she discovered her true nature. But, after she accidentally kills a mysterious man sent to kidnap her, she realizes piecing her old life back together is one gnarly jigsaw puzzle.
When Allison's sometimes boyfriend Haji goes missing, Allison and her squad suspect his unhealthy interest in magic led to his disappearance. Their quest to find Haji brings them face-to-face with beings thought long ago extinct whose agenda remains an enigma.



Amazon * Goodreads

Hello my readers. I am hosting a guest blogger on my page who is talking about writer's block. 

Please enjoy. 

Writer's Block. Does it exist? I suppose it's a subjective thing. If you think you suffer from it, you

probably do.

My critique group, the Puget Sound Writers' Guild, had a resident writer, may he rest in peace, who

staunchly did not believe in writer's block. If you can't come up with ideas and bring them to fruition, then

you aren't creative enough to cut it as a writer. He could be hard, but he was a best-selling author under

several pen names, so who were we, his pupils, to contradict him.

Now, I won't go so far as to say writer's block simply does not exist. But I do think there are practices a

writer can implement to overcome it. Personally, I've never suffered from writer's block. For example, the

characters and plot for Dragons Walk Among Us came easily to me. It probably helped that I've been

thinking about some of the central fantasy elements of the story for years. Here's my remedy, or put

another way, how I avoid writer's block.

I start small with a one-page concept that lays out the story from start to finish in broad strokes. This isn't

easy; it's hard. It takes me numerous drafts to get the concept down to one page, but I think it's worth it.

From that, I create a scene-by-scene outline that I ultimately treat as a road map. It shows me how to get

from the start line to the finish line, but I can always take detours and side trips along the way. I find the

rough draft flows quite naturally from this road map.

If you suffer from writer's block, start small. That strategy has always served me well.

Daryl and the Dancing Dolls: A Dance-It-Out Creative Movement Story for Young Movers by Once Upon A Dance #childrensbooks #dance #spotlight

 

PURCHASE HERE

Once Upon a Dance donates all proceeds to charity.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Daryl’s ordinary life takes an adventurous turn when fairies cast their magic.

Kids dance along with the story characters and a professional ballet dancer in this interactive story designed to get kids up and moving. Ballerina Konora joins the pages with photos and suggestions for movement exploration. 

Three books in one: readers can enjoy the story, act out the tale in their own way, or try Konora’s suggested activities, designed by an award-winning ballet teacher to develop body awareness and movement knowledge.

Daryl and the Dancing Dolls is ideal for kids who have had earlier series’ success or for children 6+. It features Daryl (no pronouns), Penny (she), the dolls (10 female, 2 male), and the creatures Daryl meets on the road. Dance-It-Out!s are above level (language-wise) as they’re intended to be initially enjoyed with a caregiver/teacher. 

Main elements include Fairies, Magic, Ice Skating, Trucks, Helping Others, and Developing Friendships.

This movement journey is ideal for dance, creative movement, physical education, homeschool, kindergarten, first-grade, or second-grade activities. The book features diverse characters. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Once Upon a Dance is an award-winning mother-daughter collaboration.

Ballerina Konora climbed the ballet ladder to pro, and she’s thrilled to be living her dreams dancing with Ballet Idaho. Along the way, she danced iconic roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy and Cinderella.

Teacher Terrel taught dance for decades and was honored by her City Council for “embodying the spirit of partnership and commitment to children in our community” for her work with young dancers. She’s breathed ballet from every angle and worked in early childhood education, for non-profits supporting kids, and as a university English teacher as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Once Upon a Dance 2021/2022 Awards: Mom’s Choice Gold Award, Family Choice Award, Royal Dragonfly First Place, PenCraft Award First Place, Firebird First Place, Pinnacle: Best Book Juvenile Fiction, Independent Press Award Winner, International Impact Book Award Winner, Outstanding Creator Awards Winner, Readers Favorite Certified Great Read, Indie’s Today 5-Star Recommended, The Wishing Shelf 5-Star, Literary Titan 5-Star Award.

Guest Post: The Train by Cendrine Marroquat #giveaway #interview #spotlight #shortstories

Today I am hosting my blog for a book called The Train. My guest blogger has interviewed the author and I am posting that interview here. Check out all the details, the interview and of course, enter the giveaway if you would like to. Without further ado...

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Genre: Literary Fiction 

Release date: January 20, 2023

You never know what a train ride may have in store. Maggie is about to find out as she journeys to Coueuses to visit her family.

**Only .99 cents!**

Amazon* Goodreads

THE AUTHOR
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Hello, my name is Cendrine Marrouat (“san-drEEn mar-wah”). I am a poet, photographer, fiction writer, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. I have authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including A Particle of You: Love Poetry (2022), Tree Reflections (2022), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Songs in Our Paths: Haiku & Photography (2020- 2021), Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography  (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku  (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

My work has appeared in many publications, including Synkroniciti Magazine, On Landscape, Real Creative Magazine, Spillwords, Sweet Deluge, Life Pixel, Still Waters Run Deep  (Lovely Silks Publishing, 2016), and eight cuts. I am the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.

I live in Winnipeg, Canada.

Website 

THE INTERVIEW:

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

For many years, I had wanted to write a complex short story that encompasses several

generations. I also wanted the setting to be in a fictional town in France, my birth country.

The only things I did not have were the names of the characters and their purpose. When I sat

down to create the outline for The Train, Maggie was still a secondary character and the third-

person POV seemed inescapable.

Everything changed during the first draft. There was something logical, albeit powerful about

telling this story in the first person.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

How challenging it was! As soon as I started writing, I realized that I had a unique concept that

needed to be taken to its conclusion. But it took me many drafts to get it right. When I showed

the manuscript to my beta readers, they only had great things to say. The more readers share

their feedback with me, the happier I am that I released the book.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as

you write?

Usually, one character comes to me before the others. The rest of the cast and their actions

kind of fall into place as I write the first and second drafts.

There has been one exception to that rule: In the Silence of Words, which is a play I wrote in

2007. Before outlining the story, I knew exactly how many characters there would be, the roles

they were supposed to play, and how most scenes would unfold.

Describe your writing style.

I am a minimalist; I write in a haiku-like fashion. I rely on dialogues and the unsaid to deliver

stories with uplifting and/or inspirational conclusions / lessons.

I visualize all my scenes, speak every bit of dialogue out loud, move with my characters, and

feel all their emotions.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I believe that fiction should not just entertain. It should also convey important messages or

lessons to the reader. (The same goes for non-fiction.)

Unfortunately, it is something that we do not see enough in modern indie fiction. I try to focus on

topics that people might be uncomfortable to discuss, so I can change the status quo one story

at a time—and in my own way.

As the great Toni Morrison said: “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been

written yet, then you must write it.”

THE GIVEAWAY

Follow the tour  HERE  for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tales From the Otherworlds edited by Antoine Bandele #giveaway #anthology #MiddleGradeFantasy #spotlight

 

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 Stories by:

Antoine Bandele, K.R.S. McEntire, Jessica Cage, Kish Knight, Ken Kwame, Francesca McMahon, Ryan J. Schroeder, Zia Knight, Brittany Hester, Loup Gajigianis

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11 marvelous stories of mystical portals, magical lands, and mythical creatures.

Journey with children, fae creatures, and gods alike as they navigate the joy of friendship, the struggles of finding identity, and the unclear pathways of strange new worlds.

From bestsellers to rising voices, 11 terrifically talented authors explore the many faces of whimsy and wonder, mischief and misdoings.

The Otherworlds call to the brave, the extraordinary, and the fated. They call to you, adventurer. Will you answer?

The anthology includes:

Will of the Mischief Maker by Antoine Bandele

What happens when a deity needs a human body? They go to the source, of course.

The Queen’s Kitchen by K.R.S. McEntire

When young Joy opens a secret door to her basement, she finds herself in a world she might not be prepared for.

A Trip to Sunma by Jessica Cage

Twelve-year-old Ameer takes an unexpected trip to an alien world and learns that you can make friends in unexpected places.

The Guardian’s Twin by Kish Knight

When strange new friends come around claiming to know her, Kayla joins them and discovers a magical secret about her lost sister.

No Way Out by Ken Kwame

Celine Musa steps into a world where nothing makes sense and where dangerous creatures want to harm her, or worse.

The Green Man Falls by Francesca McMahon

When the creatures of the Otherworld go missing, it is up to Cernunnos, the God of All Wild Things, to seek out answers, that is, until he gets sick.

The Beams of Faelleria by Ryan J. Schroeder

When a middle school science fair contestant finds himself transported to a fairy kingdom, he’ll need science, magic, and a new friend to find his way back home.

King Impulu & The Sky Pearl by Zia Knight

Twelve-year-old Ruby Freeman and her best friend Jabari Lee travel to the Kingdom of Life to recover a magical pearl in order to save her family’s farm.

The Portal to Aril by Brittany Hester

Keke’s powers are the key to bringing justice to her race. There's only one problem, she has no idea how to be a necromancer.

Fae-Took by Marie McHenry

What’s a girl to do when she finds herself trapped within the fae realm?

Magiks and the Tale of Two Kings by Loup Gajigianis

One wizard, one warrior, and two kings. Will trust win over treachery?

**Also available in Paperback & Audiobook at Books2Read!**

Amazon* Goodreads

[image error] [image error] ANTOINE BANDELE IS AN AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR IN ACTION ADVENTURE FANTASY, DARK FANTASY, SWORD & SORCERY, AFRICAN AMERICAN FANTASY, AND AFRICAN LITERATURE.

He was born and raised in Los Angeles, though he spent one year in Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington while his father served in the U.S. Army.

He lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and cat. You can find him producing videos all over YouTube, including his own channel (which you should totally check out). He is also an audiobook engineer.

Website *   Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo's Ice Worm Intervention by Oneeka Williams, MD #childrensbooks #childrensfiction #bookseries #girlpower #superheroes #autism

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It's time for the Cordova Ice Worm Festival! What fun! But the tiny ice worms are in danger: their homes are melting because of Climate Change! Can Supergirl Surgeon Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo and her friends save the day?

MY REVIEW: 

I have loved every single one of this author's book series, this one is terrific too. I love that the author mixes science and real-life events to attract young readers, especially girls, to the field of science. In this case, Cordova Ice Worm Festival is a real event that, at this review, is happening now.

I love that Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo is not your normal everyday action hero. She is a young girl who lives with her mom and dad but just happens to also be a surgeon with extraordinary powers. She sets out to fix planetary problems and her family is encouraging for her. 

In this episode, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo is tasked with fixing the melting glaciers of Alaska which are causing ice worms (which by the way, are a real animal) to be upset. In addition, other arctic animals are having problems and need this fixed too because they are losing their habitat. Positive affirmations are provided throughout which is a keystone for the fictional character as well as the real author.

This was a little more complex that the books I have read before from this author. The science behind the problem was explained in much more detail and aimed at a bit older kids. This book is targeted for 6-12 year olds and is aligned with Common Core for the sciences in schools. Some words are a bit difficult to pronounce and read but the author does provide a glossary reference in the back as well as words for learning. In addition, the author has added links to be used as a resource guide for teachers and parents alike. This would be perfect for home school too.

5 stars!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Where you can find the author: 
Amazon
Facebook
Website

DISCLOSURE: I was given a copy of this book by the author. The review here is 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network