Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 144
February 27, 2023
Blog Tour: MY MAGICAL GNOME STORYBOOK by Monika Anna Blichar
My Magical Gnome Storybook
by Monika Anna Blichar
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GENRE: Children's Fiction
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BLURB:
Magic is everywhere. You just have to believe.
Follow Edy on his magical adventures into the human world while he tries to save the last Golden Believer left on earth. A magical adventure for young and old alike!
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Excerpt One:
She knew that there was something really wrong when she noticed that the gnome in her painting was gone. She had just finished the painting yesterday and went home from the studio and now, the very next day, that same gnome she spent hours working on had completely vanished! Everything else was still there. The owl. The city in the sky. The snail. The hot air balloons and even the lily pads on the water. The only thing that had vanished was the gnome. Was it even possible or was she dreaming?
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Review: “Look it up for yourself on your computer—you’ll find out it is very true and that there are gnomes hidden all over the city.”
This book basically depicts photographic images of gnome dolls in various cities. The pictures looked like something taken from a disposable camera on a vacation or something. Of course, there were a few drawings in there, which were nice and livened things up a bit. I especially liked the outlined sketches of the wrinkly, old lady and the Roma Colosseum. The text itself certainly had a poetic touch—flowery and sentimental. However, the words didn’t seem to lead in any clear direction, and the narrative was kind of long. It sounded like some fantasy adventure, but the text was so ambiguous that I couldn’t really get the full impact of the story.
Overall, this was a nice first-try for a children’s story book. A little shorter and more clarity would’ve made it better, but this was fairly nice.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Monika Blichar is a Polish-Canadian artist, entrepreneur and the owner of Monika’s Art Boutique, Art World Expo and Painting Dreams International Art Tours. Monika has been teaching art and languages since 2006 and has a B.A. in English and French with a B.C. College of Teachers accreditation from the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada. Monika is committed to sharing her passion for art with others via projects, community events and artist retreats in Canada and Europe. She paints, designs fashion, has illustrated and written several books, and is host of The Art World Podcast. Monika has also built a team of teachers and facilitators who teach her curriculum, practices and methods to hundreds of students each month in Canada and abroad. In her free time, Monika enjoys traveling, gardening, learning and caring for animals including her dogs, cat, and chickens.
https://www.instagram.com/monikaanna/?hl=en
https://www.monikablichar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/monikaannablichar/
https://twitter.com/MonikaBlichar
https://www.youtube.com/user/monikablichar
https://www.tiktok.com/@monikablichar
https://www.pinterest.com/monikablichar
https://www.amazon.com/My-Magical-Gnome-Story-Book/dp/022886013X
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GIVEAWAY :
Monika Anna Blichar will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 25, 2023
Review: DOG EAT DOUG by Brian Anderson (Book 1)
This is darling and funny collection of comic shorts featuring a rambunctious puppy and a toddler. You’ll be treated to scenes from life like Sophie, the pup, shoving a bone in Doug’s mouth to stop his crying. Oh, and there’s the scene when Sophie is dying go outside, dragging her owner every step of the way, but when she finally does get outside, she didn’t have to go anymore. Too funny! Sophie and Doug can’t stand each other sometimes, but they also have fun together. With all the trouble they get into, it’s a good thing they’re cute.
Filled with fun and colorful illustrations that’ll make you laugh and smile.
A wonderful comic strip!
Rating: 5 stars
Review: IT CAME FROM THE DIAPER PAIL Vol. 2 by Brian Anderson
Hilarious comics about a puppy and a baby! Love the cartoon images! Some of the text was a little hard to read, but the pictures just scream. A fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MUCUS Vol 3. By Brian Anderson
A new collection of little comics about a dog and a baby. Oh, that sweet Sophie—getting into everything! The only thing that gets in her way is an equally rambunctious toddler.
Great reads! Too cute and too funny!
Rating: 5 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG: LAST ONE ALIVE GETS THE COOKIE Vol. 8 by Brian Anderson
Cute and funny comics about a dog and a baby. It’s a riot to see who can outsmart who. But now Sophie, the dog, has to deal with cats in the house. Great. That Sophie reminds me of Snoopy sometimes. The art work is great. The panels are fun to read.
Another great one!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG Vol. 6 by Brian Anderson
Not enough color. Too many black-and-white sketches. Too much text in the bubbles. Not as funny, but still cute.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG Vol. 4 by Brian Anderson
Funny, little comics about what it’s like raising a baby and a puppy. Beautiful sketches. Not all in color, but still great just the same. Doodles are so cute and darling.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG Vol 13 by Brian Anderson
Love the nice, big pictures. I can actually read the text clearly.
Love that dog! Sophie gets into so much mischief. What do you expect when she’s the pup of the house? But this time, see how Sophie becomes the grown up to smaller puppies.
A nice read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG: ZOOMIES Vol 15 by Brian Anderson
Cute sketches. Most are in B/W. Images are blurry when you try to zoom in. Can’t read the small images too well.
Okay comic strips in this volume.
Rating: 3 stars
February 24, 2023
Blog Tour: SANCTUARY ON VICTORIA ISLAND by Karen Andover
Sanctuary on Victoria Island
by Karen Andover
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GENRE: Romantic Suspense
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BLURB:
Victoria Island is an idyllic place to live and work. Or so Emma Rutledge had always thought. Working for her family’s property company, she enjoys professional success. But her personal life is more complicated. She struggles to move past her childhood infatuation with Donovan, her brother’s best friend, and to cope with his callous rejection of her feelings.
But things are not always as they seem on the picturesque island. The sunny and peaceful haven conceals dangerous secrets. When Emma unexpectedly stumbles across the darker side of life, her life is threatened.
Donovan Evans is leaving the military after fifteen years and returning home to Victoria Island. He is ready to start the next chapter of his life with a different job and the hope for a new relationship. But old hurts frustrate his plan. And unforeseen violence transforms his priorities. Suddenly Emma and Donovan have more at stake than getting past their troubled history. They must work together to say alive.
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EXCERPT
Emma shivered in the back of the lecture hall as a steady blast of frigid air streamed from the air conditioning vent directly above her. Figures. And no empty seats. She put on the cardigan that she had brought with her. These seminars are always unbearably hot or freezing. At least I’m near the exit. I won’t have to fight the masses as they rush to the women’s restroom at break time. Bored, she doodled on her notepad. Huh. A house with two stick figures. A dog. Definitely not a Freudian issue. She flipped the page to her notes from the marketing lecture. A list of renovation ideas for Donovan’s home. She pulled a face and turned to her notes from the ethics lecture. Liar. Snake. Charlatan. Her mouth tilted up. Comments about the ethics teacher, one of the most unscrupulous realtors on the island. Nothing about the actual lecture. Her thoughts shifted to Jack and Ava. She sighed loudly.
“Shush…” The woman beside her shot her a disapproving look as she hung on to the words of the lecturer and diligently took notes. Emma gritted her teeth and turned back to the presenter.
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Review: Realtor Emma thought she would have it all by now—marriage, stability, and family. Instead, her life nearly comes to an end when she was attacked at a house she was inspecting.
Donovan was out of the military and was back home for good in Victoria Island. Hopefully he’d be able to finally make a move on the puppy-love adoration he got from Emma in the past.
Story has a nice, descriptive narrative, but it was lengthy and slow, often concentrating on trivialities and scenery. There was too much run-of-the-mill dialogue that slowed down the progress. It only picks up slightly when it seems that someone was after Emma and Donovan had appointed himself to protect her.
The premise was interesting and the writing was pretty good. But the pace was slow and the suspense was mild. There’s drama, romance, and mystery—all good elements in a story—however, the whole thing was just too slow and too tempered for me.
A fairly nice read.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Karen Andover is an author of romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and science fiction. Karen lives an idyllic island life and her goal is to share her happy place with readers one book at a time. She lives in Florida with her family and rescue pup.
https://www.facebook.com/karenandover
https://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Victoria-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B0BQGTFFWJ/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY
Karen Andover will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
