Sara Shafer's Blog, page 2

Whisper of Trees by Ben Woodard #kidlit #multicultural #fantasy

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the children's multicultural fantasy book written by Ben Woodard, Whisper of Trees. The blast will run June 6 - June 8, 2016.

About the Book
Title: Whispers of Trees |Author: Ben Woodard | Genre: Children's Multicultural Adventure | Number of Pages: 57 | Publisher: Miller-Martin Press | Publication Date: March 15, 2016

Book Description: An ancient forest, a dark night, a strange woman—and whispers.

What is going on in this eerie Irish forest? Ten-year-old Declan has to find out. His brother is missing and only he can solve the mystery. But why him? He doesn’t even like his always-yelling brother who his sister says was eaten by wolves. But there are no wolves in Ireland.

Then a witch-like woman tells him the two of them have to go into the spooky woods to save his brother. But from what? The strange trees only whisper the answer and he must discover what they are trying to tell him. But he will learn much more than he ever dreamed.

Whispers of Trees is a fun, page-turning thriller hinting of myth that delivers a multicultural adventure. This is the second book in the Mythic Adventures Collection. The first book is The Boy Who Flew With Eagles.

You can preview it here: The Boy Who Flew With Eagles

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords iTunes | Kobo
What others have to say...

"This is a great story for young readers. It has a great sense of nature and a great feeling of listening to your heart. I love that the author combined fantasy with folklore to create this perfect length story." - Deal Sharing Aunt 

"The author did a great job revealing a ten-year-old's inner struggle against fear, suspicion, and emotional distance from his father and brother." - Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest  

"It has the perfect amount of mystery and suspense as well as a wonderful lesson for kids and adults. " - Lizards Laughter and Love  

"Well written story that inspires your imagination." - Kay LaLone


Take a peek at the trees...


About the Author: Ben Woodard
Ben is an adventurer and storyteller who has traveled the world including climbing on Mt. Everest. He now writes adventure stories for boys and girls. Tales of lost gold and river caves, and flying with eagles. Stories of friendship that endure through adversity and danger. Adventures that inspire and educate and, most of all, entertain.

For more information about Ben, please visit BooksByBen.com.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Pinterest
Book Blast GiveawayPrize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choiceGiveaway ends: June 20, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: 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, Ben Woodard, and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.

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Dragons are Real #picturebook #kidlit Blog Tour

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the charming children's book written by Valarie Budayr and illustrated by Michael Welply, Dragons are Real. The tour will run from May 9 - May 30, 2016




About the Book
Title: Dragons are Real | Author: Valarie Budayr | Illustrator: Michael Welply Publisher: Audrey Press | Publication Date: May 5, 2016 | Genre: Children's Picture Book Number of Pages: 32
Book Description:

What if I told you that all of the fairy tales, myths and legends that have been told about dragons over the years are WRONG? What if I told you that Dragons are indeed REAL and that they are different than you've ever imagined? Did you know that Dragons are the master of disguises? Did you know that they love sugar and sweets (at unacceptable levels) and will do anything for treats? Award winning author Valarie Budayr brings us this fairly true story based on her childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon.

Take a look inside the book...

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Black Lightning #newrelease from @KSJones2011 @MirrororWorldPub @Saphs_Books

About Black Lightning:
Life moves on — no matter what...
Following his father’s puzzling disappearance and his mother’s death, ten-year-old Samuel Baker goes through the motions of living in a world turned upside down. He wears an Apache talisman, a long ago gift from his father, in hopes its promise of strength and guidance is true. But what he truly wants is the power to bring his parents back. 
Heartless Aunt Janis is elated at the prospect of becoming Samuel’s legal guardian. She is sure an orphan boy will elicit such an outpouring of public sympathy that her husband will win his Senate bid by a landslide. But when Grandpa Tate arrives, things don’t go as expected, especially when black lightning strikes!


From the award-winning author of Shadow of the Hawk
Title: Black Lightning
Author Name: K.S. Jones
Genre(s): Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Length: Approx. 132 pages
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing (www.mirrorworldpublishing.com)
Follow the Tour for Reviews, Guest Posts, Exclusive Excerpts, and Spotlight Posts:
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/blog-tour-schedule-black-lightning-by.html
Read an Excerpt:
Samuel stood beside his mother’s rain-speckled casket. He had cried his tears dry, so there was no point in trying to find more.
“Chin up, young man,” Aunt Janis said as her fingers nudged Samuel’s jaw upward. “Death is just part of life, and our photographer needs a good picture of you for the newspapers.”
A camera flashed, leaving Samuel’s red and swollen eyes burning as if stung by the sun instead of grief.
So many important days had come and gone without his father, but surely he would come home today, wouldn’t he? Samuel closed his eyes. He pretended his father was beside him holding his hand. They had a right to hold hands, he told himself. Not because he was ten, but because it was his mother’s funeral. Two years had passed since his father left, never to be seen again. Vanished, was the word his mother had used. Into thin air, she’d said.
“Take that silly thing off.” Aunt Janis flicked Samuel’s wood and bead necklace.
“No,” he said and shook his head. “My dad gave it to me.” It was a pinewood tile, the size of a domino shaved nickel-thin, which hung from a leather cord around his neck. Burned onto the front side of the wood was a lightning bolt. Its flipside bore the blackened imprint of a tribal dancer. It had a turquoise nugget and a shiny black hematite bead strung together on each side. His father had given the talisman to him with a promise: It will guide you and give you strength when you need it most.
Today, dressed in a black suit and starchy white shirt, Samuel wore it in hopes the promise was true.
As mourners gathered, Samuel’s friend Brian came to stand beside him. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” Samuel answered without taking his eyes off the casket.
“Is that the necklace your dad gave you? You don’t usually wear it.” Brian’s wire-rimmed glasses slid down his straight arrow nose. He pushed them back up the bridge with one finger until they encircled his eyes again. “Can I see it? I promise I’ll give it right back.”
“It’s not a necklace.” Samuel pulled the leather cord off over his head, mussing his overgrown blond hair. “It’s a talisman.” He handed it to Brian. “My dad said it would help me, but it hasn’t done anything yet. I think it was just one of his stories. It’s probably just an old piece of scrap wood with a couple rocks tied to it.”
Brian shrugged after examining the piece then he handed it back to Samuel. “I think it’s cool. You should keep wearing it anyway.”
Nodding, Samuel hung the talisman around his neck again, but this time he dropped it down beneath his shirt where it was no longer visible. It felt warm against his skin.
“Has anybody told you where you’re going to live now?” Brian asked.
“Probably with Aunt Janis and Uncle Jack.”
Brian frowned. He kicked the tip of his shoe into the muddy soil. “They live so far away. Why can’t you just stay here and live with Mrs. Abel? She doesn’t have any kids.”
Mrs. Abel was their fourth grade teacher. She had plainly stated to all who would listen that her job was to teach the proper use of the English language to children who behaved properly. A babysitter, she had said, she was not. Today, she stood in the rain with the other mourners, eyeing the ground where the hem of her long, gray dress lay caked in mud. Tufts of brown hair jutted out from under her pink plaid scarf. Even though she stood a few feet from him, she had not spoken to Samuel since his mother’s death. Few people had. Everyone had words for Aunt Janis and they talked to Uncle Jack, but no one but Brian and a few classmates had spoken to him. Maybe talking to an orphan was harder than talking to a normal kid.



Purchase Links:



Mirror World Publishing

 http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/black-lightning-ebook



Amazon

http://amzn.to/24H7yrY



Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-lightning-ks-jones/1123660287?ean=9781987976120



Quote:
“If you’ve forgotten the magic that lives in a child’s heart, this book will remind you. Black Lightning is a rare and beautiful mythic journey about one boy’s struggle with paralyzing grief and the powerful bonds that can carry a person through this world and beyond...” W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear USA TODAY and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors of People of the Thunder
Meet the Author:

Karen
(K.S.) Jones grew up in California, but now lives in the beautiful Texas Hill
Country northwest of San Antonio with her husband, Richard, and their dogs Jack
Black, Libby Loo, and Red Bleu. Black Lightning is her first middle-grade
novel. She credits her love of fantasy to the early influences of authors
J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells. Her award-winning first novel, Shadow
of the Hawk, a Young Adult Historical, released in 2015.
Visit K.S. Jones:
Facebook
~ https://www.facebook.com/Karen.S.Jones.Author
Website
~ http://ksjones.com/
Twitter
~ https://twitter.com/KSJones2011

John Bloom and the Victory Garden: #kidlit #HistoricalFiction

BeachBoundbooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the children's historical fiction book John Bloom and the Victory Garden: Digging In by Leigh Shearin from May 10 - May 31, 2016.




About the Book
Title: John Bloom and the Victory Garden: Digging In | Author: Leigh Shearin Genre: Children's Historical Fiction | Number of Pages: 106 | Publication Date: January 22, 2016 | Summary: The fun continues in Appleside, NJ, as John Bloom and his pals live, laugh, and watch the incredible events of late 1942 as they unfold across the world. The attack on Pearl Harbor has brought America into the
global war, and everyone's involved- even children! Join them as they do what they can to help with the war effort, even from a small, rural, American town.


About the Author: Leigh Shearin

Leigh Shearin is a farmer, writer, photographer, baker, and lifetime dreamer.

Leigh earned a B.A. degree in Studio Art at Maryville College and worked as a graphic artist before earning an ASS degree in Culinary Art.  She has worked as a chef, baker and culinary arts instructor.  Most recently, she and her husband bought rural land and are developing Winter'Rest, a small farm in
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Dragons are Real #picturebook #kidlit by Valarie Budayr

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the delightful children's book written by Valarie Budayr and illustrated by Michael Welply, Dragons are Real. The blast will run May 2 - 4, 2016.




About the BookTitle: Dragons are Real | Author: Valarie Budayr | Illustrator: Michael Welply | Publisher: Audrey Press | Publication Date: May 5, 2016 | Genre: Children'sPicture Book | Number of Pages: 32Amazon Book Descrip tion:


What if I told you that all of the fairy tales, myths and legends that have been told about dragons over the years are WRONG? What if I told you that Dragons are indeed REAL and that they are different than you've ever imagined? Did you know that Dragons are the master of disguises? Did you know that they love sugar and sweets (at unacceptable levels) and will do anything for treats? Award winning author Valarie Budayr brings us this fairly true story based on her childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon.
Take a peek inside the book...
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#AprilShowers Rain Rain Go Away Giveaway Hop

The Kids Did It and The Mommy Island are hosting the “Rain Rain Go Away!” Giveaway Hop from April 12th at 12:01 am EST thru April 26th at 11:59 pm EST!
The Bravest Squirrel: 3 Books in 1
As a special addition to The Bravest Squirrel family, the first three book of The Bravest Squirrel series have been compiled in a special 3 in 1 edition at a significant saving to buying all three books separately. Enter the Rafflecopter below of a chance to win a free print copy (US only).

The Bravest Squirrel: 3 Books 1


The Bravest Squirrel Ever: Scared of thunder, lightning and being "flopped" by the humans, Pippi the squirrel wants to return to her mama's warm, cozy nest. Instead, she and her siblings stumble on a better nest...in forbidden human territory. When she becomes trapped inside, Pippi must depend on her wits to survive, proving to herself and the world just how brave a little squirrel can be.

The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest : Max is determined to prove he is the bravest squirrel ever. He devises a plan to rescue his Uncle Louie. Instead, he is locked in cage, sprayed by a skunk, dumped out of a truck, and abandoned with a hungry coyote hot on his trail. Max has to give up being brave and beg others to help him. When he has the chance to save Uncle Louie or risk his life to save a friend, Max discovers just how brave he really is.

The Bravest Squirrel in School : Lana has no interest in being brave, but she would like to be cuddled by a human. She ends up in a school bus full of children with no other squirrel to take care of her. With no one coming to rescue her, Lana needs to stand up for herself against the playground bullies and figure out a way to get back home. If she’s not brave enough to rescue herself, she’ll be stuck in school forever.

Amazon - print and e-bookCreatespace (print)
Barnes & Noble (print)

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A Buss from Lafayette by Dorothea Jensen #blogtour

BeachBoundbooks is pleased to be coordinating a Blog Tour for the middle grade/young adult novel A Buss From Lafayette by Dorothea Jensen from April 11 - May 2, 2016.
 _________________________________________________________________________________


About the Book
Title: A Buss From Lafayette
Author: Dorothea Jensen
Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult Historical Fiction
Recommended Ages: 10-17
Number of Pages: 266
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: April 22, 2016
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Clara Hargraves lives on a farm in Hopkinton, a small New Hampshire town, during the early 19th century. She has a couple of big problems. First of all, she has a stepmother, Priscilla, who used to be her spinster schoolteacher aunt. Clara resents that her late mother’s older sister has not only married her father but is about to have a baby. To make matters worse, “Prissy Priscilla”keeps trying to make the rambunctious, clever, and witty Clara act like a proper young lady. Secondly, Clara has red hair, making her a target for teasing by a handsome older boy, Dickon Weeks, and by her pretty seventeen-year-old Dread Cousin Hetty. Clara, however, has a secret plan she hopes will change this. During the last week of June, 1825, Clara’s town is abuzz because the famous General Lafayette is about to visit their state during his farewell tour of America. In those eventful seven days, Clara learns a lot about her family, Hetty, Dickon, herself, and about Lafayette. She comes to understand the huge and vital role the young French aristocrat played in America’s Revolutionary War and to see that her problems might not be quite so terrible after all.
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo
Excerpt:
It is June, 1825. On a farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Clara Hargraves, 14, is telling this story. In this excerpt, she is at the supper table with her father, her stepmother (Priscilla, whom Clara thinks of as “Prissy”), and her brother, Joss.

“I do not need to take a bath every single Saturday night when I can jump in the pond to wash off anytime I like, at least in the summertime.”Prissy glanced at Father again. “Yes, I have been meaning to speak to you about that, Clara. Now that you are a young lady, you must not swim in the pond any longer. It is not seemly.”I looked at my stepmother in disbelief. “It is seemly enough, ma’am. I wear my chemise, and Joss’s old breeches, if anyone is around, so I am well-covered.”“That’s another thing. Now that you are fourteen, you are too old to wear Joss’s clothes anymore,” she said.“Not even to ride astride?”“Especially not to ride astride. You are not to do so any more.”“Wear the breeches or ride astride?”“Both.”“But . . .”Father spoke up. “No ‘buts,’ my girl, you heard your mama. She knows how young ladies must behave. If she says you must ride sidesaddle from now on, that is what you must do.”“Sidesaddle? But that is so silly!” I protested. “I cannot hold on properly with only one knee around the horse. It is like riding half a horse!”Father leaned over and patted my hand.“Nevertheless, daughter, you must use Priscilla’s sidesaddle whenever you ride Feather.” He turned to his wife. “Although that will not be for much longer, I am afraid. I have found a buyer for Feather in Warner. I am taking her up there on Monday. We can certainly use the extra money, with the new baby coming and all.”“But, Father, there is no other horse I can ride! Fury is getting to be too old for anything but pulling the whisky. And Flame is barely trained to the bridle, let alone any kind of saddle. She’s not even two years old yet!”“She will be two in a couple of weeks, daughter. Perhaps by the time she is trained, you will have learned to ride properly on your mother’s sidesaddle.”Something about the way Father said this made my temper flare.“If you insist, Father. But . . . but she is not my mother, she is only my aunt! My real mother’s old maid sister!” I jumped from my chair and ran from the room, leaving shocked silence behind me.It is June, 1825. On a farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Clara Hargraves, 14, is telling this story. In this excerpt, she is at the supper table with her father, her stepmother (Priscilla, whom Clara thinks of as “Prissy”), and her brother, Joss. “I do not need to take a bath every single Saturday night when I can jump in the pond to wash off anytime I like, at least in the summertime.”Prissy glanced at Father again. “Yes, I have been meaning to speak to you about that, Clara. Now that you are a young lady, you must not swim in the pond any longer. It is not seemly.”I looked at my stepmother in disbelief. “It is seemly enough, ma’ am. I wear my chemise, and Joss’ s old breeches, if anyone is around, so I am well-covered.”“That’ s another thing. Now that you are fourteen, you are too old to wear Joss’ s clothes anymore,” she said. “Not even to ride astride?”“Especially not to ride astride. You are not to do so any more.”“Wear the breeches or ride astride?”“Both.”“But . . .”Father spoke up. “No ‘ buts,’ my girl, you heard your mama. She knows how young ladies must behave. If she says you must ride sidesaddle from now on, that is what you must do.”“Sidesaddle? But that is so silly!” I protested. “I cannot hold on properly with only one knee around the horse. It is like riding half a horse!”Father leaned over and patted my hand. “Nevertheless, daughter, you must use Priscilla’ s sidesaddle whenever you ride Feather.” He turned to his wife. “Although that will not be for much longer, I am afraid. I have found a buyer for Feather in Warner. I am taking her up there on Monday. We can certainly use the extra money, with the new baby coming and all.”“But, Father, there is no other horse I can ride! Fury is getting to be too old for anything but pulling the whisky. And Flame is barely trained to the bridle, let alone any kind of saddle. She’ s not even two years old yet!”“She will be two in a couple of weeks, daughter. Perhaps by the time she is trained, you will have learned to ride properly on your mother’ s sidesaddle.”Something about the way Father said this made my temper flare. “If you insist, Father. But . . . but she is not my mother, she is only my aunt! My real mother’ s old maid sister!” I jumped from my chair and ran from the room, leaving shocked silence behind me It is June, 1825. On a farm in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Clara Hargraves, 14, is telling this story. In this excerpt, she is at the supper table with her father, her stepmother (Priscilla, whom Clara thinks of as “Prissy”), and her brother, Joss. “I do not need to take a bath every single Saturday night when I can jump in the pond to wash off anytime I like, at least in the summertime.”Prissy glanced at Father again. “Yes, I have been meaning to speak to you about that, Clara. Now that you are a young lady, you must not swim in the pond any longer. It is not seemly.”I looked at my stepmother in disbelief. “It is seemly enough, ma’ am. I wear my chemise, and Joss’ s old breeches, if anyone is around, so I am well-covered.”“That’ s another thing. Now that you are fourteen, you are too old to wear Joss’ s clothes anymore,” she said. “Not even to ride astride?”“Especially not to ride astride. You are not to do so any more.”“Wear the breeches or ride astride?”“Both.”“But . . .”Father spoke up. “No ‘ buts,’ my girl, you heard your mama. She knows how young ladies must behave. If she says you must ride sidesaddle from now on, that is what you must do.”“Sidesaddle? But that is so silly!” I protested. “I cannot hold on properly with only one knee around the horse. It is like riding half a horse!”Father leaned over and patted my hand. “Nevertheless, daughter, you must use Priscilla’ s sidesaddle whenever you ride Feather.” He turned to his wife. “Although that will not be for much longer, I am afraid. I have found a buyer for Feather in Warner. I am taking her up there on Monday. We can certainly use the extra money, with the new baby coming and all.”“But, Father, there is no other horse I can ride! Fury is getting to be too old for anything but pulling the whisky. And Flame is barely trained to the bridle, let alone any kind of saddle. She’ s not even two years old yet!”“She will be two in a couple of weeks, daughter. Perhaps by the time she is trained, you will have learned to ride properly on your mother’ s sidesaddle.”Something about the way Father said this made my temper flare. “If you insist, Father. But . . . but she is not my mother, she is only my aunt! My real mother’ s old maid sister!” I jumped from my chair and ran from the room, leaving shocked silence behind me
About the Author: Dorothea JensenDorothea Jensen, born in Boston, Massachusetts, grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois. She majored in English literature at Carleton College. After teaching high-school English and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil, she earned a master s degree in education at the University of New Mexico. In 1989, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich published Dorothea s novel for young readers about the American Revolution, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm. In addition to other honors, it was named an International Reading Association Teacher s Choices Selection and is read in classrooms throughout the U.S. A Buss from Lafayette is set in the small New Hampshire town where Dorothea lives. Two things inspired her to write this story. First, was learning that Lafayette passed right by her house during his 1824-5 Triumphal Tour. Another was meeting a woman whose ancestor received a kiss from Lafayette. That buss, passed down through generations, eventually came to Dorothea. This sparked her interest in Lafayette s contributions to our struggle for independence. Dorothea also enjoys writing rhyming verse. She has written a series of award-winning illustrated modern Christmas stories in verse featuring Santa's Izzy Elves.

For more information about Dorothea and her books, please visit http://www.dorotheajensen.com/.
Blog Tour GiveawayPrize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: May 2, 11:59 pm, 2016 Open to: 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, Dorothea Jensen and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.


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That'th what I thaid! The Sore Prickly Bear #picturebook by @LSchinski

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for two charming books by Lisa Marie Schinski, That'th what I thaid! & The Sore Prickly Bear. The blast will run March 28-30, 2016.



About the Books
Title: The Sore Prickly Bear
Author: Lisa Marie Schinski
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Number of Pages: 30
Summary: Fuzzy has a very bad day that keeps getting worse. He is faced with many challenges and doesn't understand why these things are happening to him. Everyone has had a bad day, week, month or even years. He will make you laugh because everyone can relate to Fuzzy in some way. Things always have a way of working out in the end and sometimes even better than it was before!

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble
Title: That'th what I thaid!: R's and S's
Author: Lisa Marie Schinski
Illustrator: Lauren Panco
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Number of Pages: 32
Summary: Stitchie is a happy bunny that is having a hard time saying her R's and S's. She thinks her friends are making fun of her but they just laugh because they think it sounds funny. They love Stitchie, and in the end, Stitchie practices and meets the best teacher who helps her says her R's and S's perfectly. She runs into the woods to share with her friends how far she has come!!

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble
About the Author: Lisa Marie Schinski
I was born and raised in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. I currently reside in King of Prussia. I wrote the story about the Sore Prickly Bear when I was 8 years old. My teacher, Mrs. Ulrich encouraged me to write and also gave me the young author's award. I found this book after my mom passed away last year. I had a great childhood but when I wrote this book, my parents got divorced, we moved and I changed schools. A lot of changes for an 8 year old. So I guess I felt like Fuzzy.

Around October 2015, I took the book into work to show my friends because this past year and a half has been very hard for me and my family. I knew when I showed my friends, they would laugh and cry because my life was again Fuzzy's. My friends, Denice, Dee, Candace, Rick, Gina, Tara, Nancy, Tamara and Gina encouraged me to publish this book. So here I am!

I am now 46 years old. I have a great job, great friends, and great family. But there are still days that feel very bad and very unfair.

My goal for publishing this book is to help children understand that bad things happen and bad days happen. But when we have friends and family in our life to help us laugh at ourselves, we can heal and move forward. Everyone has a bad day, week, month or even years. My dream is to share this story for children to know they are not alone and everyone has a bad day.
I am so grateful for my family and friends.

"That'th what I thaid" was published in February 2016. Lauren Panco inspired me to write this story. It is for children who have a hard time with their R's and S's. I think many of us have! I want children to know it's ok to sound different and with practice, it changes. Don't let anyone make fun of you. We are all perfect the way we are!
Website ~ Twitter ~ Etsy ~ LinkedIn
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#KeepCalmHopOn #BlogHop Win a Print Copy of The Bravest Squirrel Drives a Race Car

Hosted by  http://thekidsdidit.com & http://themommyisland.blogspot.com

The Bravest Squirrel Drives a Race Car

When his baby cousin Zander runs away, Chaz finally has a chance to live his dream of rescuing someone and proving his bravery. But Zander doesn’t want to be rescued, and he certainly doesn’t listen.
When the little squirrel crawls into a race car, Chaz follows him, expecting they will hide from the humans until the race is over. But Zander doesn’t stay hidden, wanting to try everything the humans do.
When the race car spins out of control, Chaz is the only one who can save them. If he’s not brave enough, not only will they crash, he’ll lose Zander forever.

Amazon ebook and print book
Createspace print book
Barnes & Noble (print)
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Free Weekend for A New Home for Goose!

Did you pick up A New Home for Goose when it was free a couple of weeks ago? If not you have one more chance! A New Home for Goose is available digitally from Amazon for 99 cents. It will be free this Saturday, Sunday and Monday (February 13-15). It is free any time on Kindle Unlimited. Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Presidents' Day!


Goose sits on a shelf all year. Now it's Christmas, which means it's time for Goose to go to a new home. But Goose is scared!

Join the fun as Goose sets off on an adventure. What happens when a plastic goose rebels? Will Goose be able to overcome her fears?

Illustrated with actual photographs of Goose, this short picture book is fun for all ages.

Amazon