Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 127
April 8, 2023
Review: GHOST WRITER by Netta Newbound
A famed author experiencingwriter’s block. What a drag!
Natalie tried everything to putsomething on paper. Then, without even realizing it, she had 10 pages written.Did she really write it? Was she writing in her sleep? Yeah right!
This had an interesting premisewith an easy narrative, but it was rather slow and uneventful for the mostpart. It gets better when it turns out her story gets based on a real eventthat includes a disappearance and a murder. I wasn’t too keen on the Britishslang (much too distracting for me.)
Eh, an okay mystery.
Rating:3 stars
Review: JINXED by Carol Higgins Clark
The details of this story beginkind of slow. It gets interesting when a man tries to marry a wealthy, oldactress. His dream comes true when she finally accepts his proposal, but shewants to invite all her relatives for a quick wedding, where she plans to givethem the money they should’ve inherited from her late husband. But this guywanted all the money. There was only one person he didn’t want at thewedding—an actress working on a movie called “Jinxed.”
Reagan Reilly, P.I., was off tofind the missing actress. Can the groom find her before Reagan does? And willhe have two people to take care of?
This was a decent read for about aquarter of the book. Most of the time, Reagan is just running around lookingfor the actress. It sure made her job easy when the girl comes home on her own.
Story was all-around slow andmediocre. It just seemed like I was waiting for something exciting anddifferent to happen. The mystery sounded interesting at first, but it suredidn’t develop to my expectations.
Eh, an okay read.
Rating: 3 stars
April 7, 2023
Blog Tour: HEART OF STONE by January Bain
Heart of Stone-Sin City Kilts
by January Bain
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GENRE: paranormal romance, billionaire werewolf
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BLURB:
Onlyone wild heart can claim another.
Esme Luceres, poor relation and outsider with the House of Luceres, devotes herfree time to exposing fake psychics and charlatans who dupe and exploit acredulous public. She’ll never be anyone’s fool. And she certainly won’t makeone of herself over the kilt-wearing, bare-chested Lachlan of the HighlandHeathens Clan, even if he does looks like a plundering Viking right out of themists of history with his magnificent body on proud display. No, she’ll exposehis secrets…
LachlanCreig certainly has a few of those. An illusionist and mind-defying hypnotist,he’s also a wolf shifter. In Vegas to perform at a prestigious venue on theStrip, he’s not above using his were heritage to his advantage. But the Scothas even darker, deeper secrets than most alpha billionaire weres…one which areabout to surface.
When ‘ghostly’ events kill a tourist at the Haunted Museum where Esme conductsmidnight tours, the feisty blonde and proud Scot are forced to put their heateddifferences aside and forge an unlikely alliance.
Canthey find their way past their deep mistrust issues to solve the murder? Ifthey can’t, Esme might lose her freedom, Lachlan all he holds dear…and both ofthem their fated mate…
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Excerpt One:
I jumped naked from my bed, the stone floor bracing againstmy bare feet and the early morning chill raising quick goosebumps on my flesh.The clash of swords and shouts of men I led into battle nightly in my dreamsstill rang in my ears before I stretched and let the images fade away.
Last night’s full moon still lingered and false dawnapproached, that luminal moment when the sun has yet to appear. My ancestorsbelieved it heralded glimpses of the future and great secrets to be shared. Me?I thought it time to be up and about.
Throwing on my shirt, kilt and boots and strapping myclaymore to my back, I descended the steep steps from the north tower. Despitemyself, I sensed something of import with the night’s Hawthorn moon—a time ofmasculine power, potency and fertility, even more so than the other eleven monthsof the year.
Fingers of heavy mist crept across the vast estate towardme, intensifying the fresh woodsy scents of heather and moss. The low-lying fogobscured my long view of forest and hedgerows, but I knew they were there.
Untold numbers of Creigs had carved this land andbattlements out of solid rock eons ago on Eilean maddah-allaidh, or Wolf Islandas it was known to those from away, creating a legacy that would stand forgenerations to come. A sanctuary that was mine to oversee and care for…whichincluded being alive to any messages sent my way.
“Okay, fine,” I sighed to whomever or whatever might belistening, and, giving in, stood in the shadow of Castle Creigbourne, awaitinga glimpse of what lay beyond the ken.
An intense flickering in my peripheral vision hit my senseshard before the world disappeared entirely, sending me back to that timelessrealm with no name and no season. Then a glimmering of light appeared as mythird eye opened, sending flashes of blue and gold to strike my retinas. Theblue of eyes and the gold of hair?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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JanuaryBain has wished on every falling star, every blown-out birthday candle, andevery coin thrown in a fountain to be a storyteller. To share the tales of highadventure, mysteries, and full-blown thrillers she has dreamed of all her life.The story you now have in your hands is the compilation of a lot of thingsmanifesting itself for this special series. Hundreds of hours spent researchingthe unusual and the mundane have come together to create books that featuresstrong women who live life to the fullest, wild adventures full of twists andunforeseen turns, and hot complicated men who aren’t afraid to take risks. Shecan only hope her stories will capture your imagination and touch your heart.
If youare looking for January Bain, you can find her hard at work every morningwithout fail in her office with her furry baby, Ling Ling. And, of course,she’s married to the most romantic man! Who once famously remarked to herinquiry about buying fresh flowers for their home every week, “Give me one goodreason why not?” Leaving her speechless and knocking her head against theproverbial wall for being so darn foolish. She loves flowers.
If youwish to connect in the virtual world she is easily found on Facebook. Oh, andshe loves to talk books…
Blog Address - http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca/
Twitter Name – https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain
Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/january.bain
Any other socialmedia -
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437282.January_Bain
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Stone-Sin-City-Kilts-ebook/dp/B0BNLQ6SCS/
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GIVEAWAY :
January Bain will be awarding a $25.00 PayPal prize,U.S. money to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: CROSSROADS by Rhonda Parker Taylor
Suspense / Thriller
Date Published: January 23, 2023
Publisher: MindStir Media
She's Paris Pennington.
A lovely workaholic about to be confronted with adversity and chaos, with challenges leading her to restlessness, uncertainty, and questioning her life choices and her current path. The fabric of her life begins to be picked apart as people around her start dying.
A crossroad leads her to make a change and promises to fulfill her dreams while an embattled personal war between past and present comes together, testing loyalty and the forces of envy that may prevent tomorrow from coming.
Rhonda Parker Taylor's most exciting suspense thriller fictional character ever.
About the Author
Rhonda Parker Taylor is an American writer, entrepreneur, and academic researcher. Rhonda Parker Taylor was born in Noblesville, Indiana, on October 18, 1964. She is the second youngest of five children born to Anita and William Parker, founders of a midwestern steel manufacturing company in Noblesville. Rhonda spent her childhood in their two-story home surrounded by cornfields and cows and attended Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis. After graduating from Heritage, she attended Bauder Fashion College in Arlington, Texas. After graduating from Bauder with a certificate in fashion buying, she returned to Indiana. Parker initially found work at Educational Financial Services in Indianapolis. Her friends and family suggested that she try her hand as an author. Rhonda took their advice and wrote her first book, Crossroads, in 2002. It took a decade for her to publish it due to her academic explorations. She attended the doctoral in business program at the University of Phoenix and received an MBA and a bachelor’s in science management from Indiana Wesleyan University. Parker’s writing ranges from educational to fiction. She is best known for her study on emotional intelligence and as the multi-national leader presented at the Union Global Compact Committee. She loves writing, consulting, and teaching. However, she has spent her business life encouraging others through career and academic development programs, including being a campus president for National College and founder of Intelligence Solutions. After years of assisting others in pursuing their dreams, Rhonda follows her passion for writing as she lives a peaceful life raising her three dogs and living with her husband, Dana.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
April 6, 2023
Blog Tour: MURDER AT THE ZOO by Marcia Rosen
Murder at the Zoo
by Marcia Rosen
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GENRE: Mystery
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BLURB:
Abody is tossed into the lion’s habitat at the zoo where Miranda Scott is thesenior vet. She and Detective Bryan Anderson join forces to unravel thatmystery and several more murders. A fan since childhood of Agatha Christie,Raymond Chandler, and Sherlock Holmes they seem to live in her head frequentlytelling her what to do…and not do. Murders, family, deceit, revenge and agangster father and godfather often get in the way of a fine romance betweenMiranda and the Detective.
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Excerpt One:
“Miranda, get to the zoo! Visitors are pointing at a humanarm in the lions’ enclosure.”
“Hmmm. This is intriguing. A body in the lions’ den. Whatare the facts?”
“Agatha, Raymond, facts if you please,” Sherlock demanded.
“All of you shut up!”
It was not the first time Miranda shouted to the voices inher head. Sometimes they seemed so real to her. She had read nearly every bookof every famous mystery writer and had seen movies made from them many times.She was often absorbed and obsessed by the stories and the characters.
Miranda loved their ways of thinking, analyzing problems,finding solutions, and delving into the dark spaces hidden in humanity: RaymondChandler’s tough Detective, Philip Marlowe, who always found a dame he couldlust after and distrust and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, andher Tommy and Tuppence. Their gossip and ways of finding clues and uncoveringsecrets swirled in her head, while the famous Sherlock Homes demanded facts andattention to the tiniest of details.
There were other geniuses of mysteries who stopped by togive Miranda their “two cents” at times, especially when Agatha, Raymond, andSherlock were disagreeing with each other. Miranda was sure they would haveplenty to say about the murder at the zoo.
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Review:
It begins with a murder at thezoo. A severed limb was found in the lion’s den. Yikes!Miranda has always had a thing formysteries. In fact, she claimed that she had mystery writers living in herhead.
“She knew that the voices of heradolescent heroes from books and movies were her own thoughts—a secondconscious perhaps— that helped her sort things out with the same criticalthinking skills that had been used by her “detectives” when solving cases.”
The voices of Agatha Christie,Raymond Chandler, and Sherlock Holmes were literally in her head and weretalking to Miranda. Mmm, quirky and odd. It was funny how they would all arguewith each other in her head. One thing they all did was strongly urge Mirandato solve not just one murder, but TWO murders.
Story had a simple and amusingnarrative for the most part. It was good that there was a murder at the zooright from the start; however, the storyline sort of dillydallies along the way,slowing the investigation. Little by little, the trail seems to lead toMiranda’s father. Could he have been involved somehow?
The mystery was rather interestingwith small details eventually leading to one thing or another. But the storywas rather slow and a tad dry for my taste. It just seemed like there was a lotof talking inside Miranda’s head. Who was really the detective here—her orthem? I’m sure mystery buffs would want an unconventional mystery helped by oneof the great detectives.
A fairy nice read.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Marcia Rosen(aka M. Glenda Rosen), award winning author of eleven books including TheSenior Sleuths and Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series and The GourmetGangster: Mysteries and Menus (Menus by her son Jory Rosen). She is also authorof The Woman’s Business Therapist and award winning My Memoir Workbook. For 25years she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relationsagency, Marcia has frequently been a speaker and/or program moderator atorganization meetings and conferences, bookstores, libraries and Zoom Programs.Topics she has taught and presented over the past twenty years include:Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…NotA Mystery, Writing Your Memoir and recently “Anatomy of Writing A Murder.” Many articles on these topics have beenpublished on mystery reader blogs and in newsletters and magazines including“Mystery Scene Magazine” and “Mystery Reader International Journal.”
She is a memberof Sisters in Crime National and New Mexico (Croak & Dagger), SouthwestWriters, New Mexico Book Association, Women Writing the West, Public SafetyWriter’s Association, and National Association of Independent Writers andEditors—for which she is also a board member. www.MarciaRosen.com
“Marcia Rosen'snew book is hard to put down! The characters are engaging and you enjoy gettingto know them as you read this mystery. I enjoyed discovering the world andpeople in Murder at the Zoo and can't wait to read more from this author!”
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GIVEAWAY
Marcia Rosen will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC toa randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: COLD SLEEP by Luke Hindmarsh
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
It’s the perfect score—stealing valuable data from a VIP in cryo-freeze midway through a decades-long interstellar crossing. If it works, Kara will have enough money to buy what she’s always wanted—a Captaincy.
But with the rest of the crew and the cargo of one hundred thousand colonists still frozen, Kara and her accomplice, Zed, realize they’re not the only ones awake. The murdered woman they find is only the first victim of whoever or whatever has woken from Cold Sleep.
Read an Excerpt
Blood streaks the VIP casket’s pristine white ceramic shell. Crimson handprints mark the controls and edges of the casket’s lid. Bright red spray mars the shining surface of the nearest casket and trickles down across its viewport. The deckplate’s smeared here and there, but the marks aren’t clear enough to make out any footprints.
“No one else in here,” Zed says.
While I’ve been gawping at the corpse, he’s secured the room.
There’s more to him than being a reliable bit of rough. It’s become too easy to dismiss him—the man is capable enough.
“I don’t understand. How could one of the passengers get out of storage?” I ask.
“Look at the casket,” Zed says. “Why’s it still registering an occupant?”
Being careful not to step in any blood, I get closer to her. What strikes me is the way the arcs of blood paint the VIP bay looks like something out of an anti-Ares Cult propaganda piece. The sacrifice of innocent beauty to sate the spirit of Mars. Kind of thing we’d only caught rumors of my first time shipping out. Then the newsfeeds had become more and more clogged with hysteria with every return to Earth. That and the usual.
War. War threatening everywhere.
Makes me think of my brother and hope he isn’t—wait, decades have passed—wasn’t on the frontline.
I drag my mind back from the futureshock and my eyes from the corpse. Getting lost in the past is a sure-fire way to get killed in the here and now.
About the Author:
A Brit now living in the Scandinavian wilds of Denmark with his wife and half-Viking kids, Luke worked as a Criminal Barrister in and around London for over a decade dealing with everything from minor theft cases to a real life axe murder and everything in between. Thanks to parents in the military he grew up being dragged around the world--while living in the Far East he picked up a love for the martial arts which continues to this day, as he passes on what he’s learned to a select dojo of students. Cold Sleep is his third novel. His first was Amazon cyberpunk bestseller Mercury’s Son, his second a UK set supernatural suspense novel 3:33 AM.Amazon
Barnes and Noble
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April 5, 2023
Blog Tour: AHHA...GUIDE TO THE GOLDEN AGE: HOW TO PREPARE FOR VERY BIG CHANGES ON OUR VERY TINY PLANET by D N D
Ahha...Guide to the Golden Age:
How to Prepare for Very Big Changes on Our VeryTiny Planet
by D N D
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GENRE: BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Inspiration &Personal Growth
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BLURB:
ThisAhha...Guide to the Golden Age with the secondary title How to Prepare for VeryBig Changes on our Very Tiny Planet is a mythic journey and a joy ride ofdiscovery based on its foundational 3 Law and 10 Step vertical structure, witheach level describing a rising level of consciousness. It’s actually exactlywhat the two titles express. Like any good story (though it’s a non fiction, itstill remains the unfolding story of the universe and Us...here on motherEarth), it has its ‘good guys and bad guys’ and naturally ascends to itsclimax, with its minor 'AhHa' moments as well as major ‘AhHa’ moments, leadingto perhaps scintillating insights and even an epiphany or two (depending on theprevailing winds), along with quite few very bad jokes and anecdotes,triggering mild chuckles or even more serious laughter on its journey...”To TheStars”….
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Excerpt One:
“Maybe the whales would be ok staying in the water”
How to begin? Since this is only my second book I can onlyguarantee one thing, it will definitely not hit the NY Times best seller listanytime soon,(ok let's not jinx it just in case). In fact I don’t know if thiswill even make it into a bookstore, but it should do well in the streets andthe flea markets and the alleys, well maybe not there. I have no clue where itwill end up. But it doesn’t matter. After my life of 70 years this is mylegacy, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. I also have no highly respected,eloquent and world known personality to write this forward for me. I’m stuckwith me. And I’m still not sure how to begin it. Maybe I’m experiencing‘writer’s block’ or maybe I just can’t write. That’s it, I'm not a writer. Whatdo you expect? I'm only a hippy philosopher. Thank God I got that off my chest.
So let's try again. Let this be my guiding thought as I workmy way through this thing.... that I will call a book.(who reads books anymoreanyways?) Truth is I am a nobody. Yes I have been a hippy/artist most of myadult life, maybe at times even a hipster, but that’s just merely a very hiphippy. I have not accomplished a lot in life, in fact I haven’t accomplishedanything, and may not succeed in finishing this book either. But though I am anobody, I am definitely beginning to realize that this ‘nobody’ is reallyeverybody. Everybody means every being, like “everything...all of it”, and Iknow no one will believe me, but I’m saying it anyway, so there. Some peoplecall it the universe. I don’t think I have a big enough ego to compare myselfto the universe. Then again the truth is, that’s exactly what I am, and thisincludes you all too. Some people even use that dreaded... G.. word. My tinylittle individual self is all selves, as significant and insignificant as everyother being in the world. This is the whole premise of this writing. All uslittle beings from the tiniest quarks and leprechauns (whoops leptons) tohumans and super galaxies are all One Vast Being.... Us...Now... Here. So yes Iam, in reality indeed the universe, and I should have an ego the same size inorder to believe it. It’s called the Law of One which I will get into inChapter 1. I am still stuck in this forward and it kind of feels like I amgoing more backwards, then forward, but never mind, forwards or backwards wekeep on keeping on.
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GUEST POST
What will people gain from reading my book, besides betterdigestion(including less gas) and good crypto buying tips ?
A complicated question which deserves anequally complicated answer, I only hope I am up for the challenge, so here goes....BuyXRP(Ripple), XLM(Stellar) and any of the other five ISO 20022 standardcompliant digital coins. There, now that we have that nonsense out of the way(not really, this may be one of the best tips you will get to make good moneyin spring of 2023, if you do your research you will understand what I ampointing to).(Also buy silver and Vietnamese dong in preparation for the comingnew economic system QFS and the re-valuation of all world currencies,big profitis very possible)
But I think my focus is supposed to be onmy book “AhHa...Guide To The Golden Age” so let me smoothly segue into thismaterial. People are going to gain a lot from reading my book. So buy italready. I think that just about sums it up.
Well ok what else can I add ? I may berunning out of ideas...Oh ya, read it if you are curious about our entry intoour new Golden Age. This opportunity only comes every 25920 years(give or take)based on the planet's “Precession of the Equinox”, its movement through theZodiac as it retrogrades backwards from astrological signs from the previousAge of Pieces, into our very soon to be Age of Aquarius. Ah but not many peopleare going to understand this part, so forget I even mentioned it. Maybe itsbetter if I can just lay out the benefits in a stream of bullet points, so hangon while I let loose. But let me just add before I lay it all at your feet,like I mentioned above concerning “research” into crypto, (which I actuallyhave done and wish others great good fortune in crypto buying.) I want othersto be abundant and wealthy not only materially,financially but intellectually,artistically and most importantly spiritually. You see that's the reason I didmy own research into preparing for the “Golden Age”, and writing the book. Iwant all of us to have “It All”, to understand it all (well to understand someof what the Universe actually is) and to drink deeply from the “Great Well”three main aspects of life I personally am committedto....meditation....appreciation....
celebration... I wantus all to celebrate with utter abandon, using all the arts (song and dance,colours and composition, and comedy and laughter) and scientific and spiritualtechnologies. I want it all and I want everyone else to have it all. So I amhoping this dear readers, that each of us can gain from reading thiscurious”AhHa..” book of mine (myself included), any of the followingbenefits....
- growingunderstanding of it all
- deepeningappreciation of it all
- lotsof chuckles and even outright serious guffaws
- understandingbetter who we are,where we are and why we are
- a deepenjoyment of the cosmic play taking place on Earth
- insightsinto the why and wherefore of so called 'Evil'
- agrowing attitude of gratitude
- manybrilliant insights by equally brilliant writers,thinkers,scientists andspiritual pioneers
- lotsof photos,images,diagrams to spice things up and give me something to do
- evenmore jokes in the most appropriate chapters, the best I could find on theinternet
- acertain amount of 'High philosophizing” by myself and others
- anunderstanding of the “Cosmic Joke” and its punchline
- andlots and lots of words flowing in a continuous stream,unabated,unfiltered,uncompromising and perhaps even unknown if no one gets thebook, all in this 473 page book with a really neat cover and a kind of simpleapproach A B C...1 2 3
-
- DN D
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Deva NeallDepodesta has been a student of life and the arts for many decades. Born in1949 in Montreal, Quebec he has been on a life journey of the arts from initialstudies at Concordia University - BA communication arts, courses in music, 2years. further studies in music, acting, theatre and production. This wasfollowed over the years with further studies in music, video/filmproduction, media, education, music technology at Capilano College,VancouverCommunity College,Institute of Communication Arts.There was also ongoingpersonal study in many aspects of music,theory, harmony, composition, instruments/voice. He has worked in the followingarts :, music, performing, acting, theatre, film, radio and video/film.in manydifferent roles as performer, composer, writer, actor, voiceover .This web siteis basically his more integral vision oflife as understood at this time in his life 2017. It includes his many interests in the arts specifically music, acting, theatre, videoetc. acting promos, written music etc and video/photos in various productions .But it is the integral visionperspective that he is most focused on. It is explained in the three blogs he has written and willadd to in the near future.
Connect with the author
WEBSITEhttps://starship7oneness.com/
INSTAGRAM@guidetothegoldenage
Get Your Copy Of Ahha…Guide to the Golden Age
AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228874726
AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228874726
BOOKTOPIA https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=9780228874720
INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/ahha-guide-to-the-golden/9780228874720-item.html
BARNES &NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ahha-guide-to-the-golden-age-dnd/1142113541
BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/Ahha-Guide-the-Golden-Age-Dnd/9780228874720
WALMART https://www.walmart.com/search?q=9780228874720
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GIVEAWAY :
D N D will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes andNoble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBook Blast: MOODY MOODY CARS by Eileen Kennedy-Moore
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Freewheeling! Full of feelings! Traveling near and far. HONK if you see me. I'm a moody moody car!
Hop in and ride along as our auto-friends personify the twists and turns of feelings. This rhyming picture book shares various expressive classic cars and invites readers to figure out the emotions, from excited to angry and more, behind the facial expressions. This is a playful, approachable way to teach kids about feelings and emotions and to develop an essential skill as kids travel along in their social world.
An answer key in the back to help readers identify all of these moody, moody cars; included are a 1956 Jaguar XK-0, a 1948 Delahaye, a 1959 Buick Electra, a 1965 A.C. Cobra, a 1938 Delage Coupe, a 1956 Buick Centurion, a 1955 Indianapolis, a 1938 Bugatti 57SC, a 1939 Buick Model 40, and a 1929 DuPont LeMans.
Why Kids Need Moody Moody Cars
Young children deal with many of the same emotions that adults do. Children get angry, sad, frustrated, nervous, happy, or embarrassed, but they often don't have the words to talk about how they're feeling. Instead, they sometimes act out these emotions in very physical and inappropriate ways.
Parents and teachers can use Moody Moody Cars to help their children understand and express their emotions in healthy ways.
Being able to read emotions in ourselves and others is like having a GPS for life.
Research tells us that children who are better at understanding facial expressions of emotions are also:
Better liked by their peers
Less likely to act out aggressively, and they
Do better in school.
One study found that children's ability to interpret facial emotions at five years of age predicts how well they do socially and academically--even four years later (Izard et al. 2001).
Research also shows that talking about feelings, practicing labeling them, and discussing their causes can help children increase their understanding of emotions in themselves and others (Yuill & Little, 2018).
In this quirky, joyful picture book, classic automobiles come alive to express a range of feelings, from excited to angry. Young readers, their parents, and teachers can simply admire some really cool cars, or they can also dive deeper into the engine of emotional understanding that helps drive us all toward personal well-being, healthy relationships, and educational progress.
About the Author:Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, is an author and clinical psychologist, based in Princeton, NJ. Her most recent books for children are Moody Moody Cars and Growing Friendships: A Kids' Guide to Making and Keeping Friends (co-authored with Christine McLaughlin). She has also written or co-authored four books for parents: Kid Confidence, Smart Parenting for Smart Kids, The Unwritten Rules of Friendship, and What’s My Child Thinking? She is the professor for an audio-video series from The Great Courses, called Raising Emotionally and Socially Healthy Kids.
A trusted expert on parenting and child development, Dr. Kennedy-Moore serves on the advisory board for Parents magazine, and her blog, Growing Friendships on Psychology Today, has over 4 million views.
Dr. Kennedy-Moore has been a featured guest on Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, Good Day Philadelphia, and dozens of major radio shows and podcasts. She has been interviewed and quoted in numerous newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Parents, Real Simple, Working Mother, and Woman's Day.
She and her husband have four children.
Website
Dr. Friendtastic
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April 4, 2023
Blog Tour: RAVEN, ROMDA, AND RAVAI: MALKETH AND THE UNDEAD, VOL. 2 by Dave Maruszewski
Raven, Romda and Ravai: Malketh and theUndead, Vol.2
by Dave Maruszewski
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GENRE: Middle Grade, Fantasy
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BLURB:
Raven, Romda and Ravai are settling into their new knightly dutieswell. With the Dark Beast defeated, their normal tasks almost seem mundane.
Amidstthe boredom, Ravai asks, “Why does no one talk about villains from the past?”
Romdareasons, “What would be the point?”
Thereis a point. Even though villains may have been defeated in the past, they maystill be around, waiting in the background ready to resurface once again.
Malkethhas returned to the kingdom, but something is different about him this time. Heis back with an entire army … an entire army of undead soldiers!
“Whetheryou want to read this aloud to your little one or let them explore this magicalworld on their own, parents can rest assured that this second installment inthe Raven, Romda, and Ravai series will be a playful, whimsical addition totheir bookshelves.” –The Book Review Directory
“…the squires are appealing characters, as is their comical banter.” - Blue InkReview
Agreat story for the fantasy loving youth, this adventure will appeal to thosewho like action and humor in an easy reading environment.
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Excerpt One:
They keep going until they hear a large rumble. A small mass of rocks fall to theground. The three look up and see agigantic figurine of a man holding a giant emerald. Romda puts her lantern up to the emerald, andthe light refracts and bounces off the many faces such that the whole room islit. This brings relief to the three.
Unfortunately, they notice something else. When the room comes up from the dark, Raven,Romda and Ravai notice all these eyes staring at them. The undead are here. The three are surrounded.
Perplexed, Raven, Romda and Ravai freeze. They are scared. However, the entire horde of undead does notapproach them. What is wrong withthem? What do they want?
At last, the undead begin to slowly stir. They begin to walk slowly. At first they seem to move in randomdirections. Then, a pattern to theirmotion becomes apparent. They move about,revealing an opening in their numbers in the shape of a small circle. That opening reveals a hooded figure. The hooded figure says…
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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DaveMaruszewski is blessed with a great family. He was originally inspired to write stories by his wife and son.
He strives todevelop stories with sound moral values that will be enlightening as well asentertaining to youths and adults. TheRaven, Romda and Ravai books are targeted especially for children who shy awayfrom reading. His stories are createdfrom an accumulation of experience from careers/backgrounds as a physicist,engineer, teacher, artist, video game designer and software developer.
In betweenwriting stories and running his own company, Digital Tumult (DigitalTumult.com),Dave enjoys video games, watching internet videos and hanging out with hisfamily.
Book: www.ravenromdaandravai.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dave-Maruszewski-Books-100693982454237/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21946064.Dave_Maruszewski
NetGalley: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/publisher/84200
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dave-Maruszewski/e/B09KQLN57W
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GIVEAWAY
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Blog Tour: WIZARD WAR by Paul Smith
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Wizard War is the story of Maxwell, who discovers he has magical powers. He is trained by the council of wizards who provide Maxwell with his introduction to magic and the wizarding world while teaching him about the perils of dark magic.
Read an Excerpt
Maxwell met with Olga, outside on the bastion grounds. She indicated that her spells required the ample space.
“BAHAMUT!” she immediately called out.
Maxwell was so surprised he responded by calling out “TRIXIE!”
Trixie appeared in front of Maxwell. After she quickly assessed the situation, she swapped her red pointed hat for a five-star general’s helmet. With a tweet on her whistle, an entire battalion of dragon-fighting gnomes appeared and started getting their anti-dragon artillery set up. Bahamut, a smoke-grey dragon with battle scars, sat there with a smile on his face.
Trixie stood, still with her arm in the air, ready to give the order to fire when Olga said, “Maxwell, stand down. Bahamut wants to talk to you.”
Maxwell, knowing that Olga and he were to duel today, was reluctant to have the gnome army stand down. “Have your dragon stand down first,” he said.
Bahamut roared, “I AM NO ONE’S DRAGON!” while stamping his mighty foot, creating a miniature earthquake. Some of the gnomes fell over. Scattering quickly, the gnomes were readying themselves to counter-attack when Maxwell asked them to stand down, explaining, “The dragon could have barbecued us by now.”
Trixie lowered her arm carefully and the gnomes slowly stood down. Olga let out a sigh of relief, standing there in her light pink robes.
About the Author:
Paul Smith is an author who was born and raised in British Columbia and now lives in Newfoundland and Labrador. He is an avid dog lover and former nurse who now lives with PTSD.http://www.twitter.com/paulsmith82book
http://www.instagram.com/paulsmithbooks
https://amazon.com/dp/0228889596
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