Stanley and Katrina's Blog, page 13

Neighbor Girl Participated in a Virtual Author Visit with 2nd Graders - One Minute Video!

Yippee! Neighbor Girl loves meeting readers of her book. This week, she was lucky enough to attend a virtual chat with 80+ 2nd graders from North Carolina.
The kids asked her paw-riffic questions, and they even did a blog post about the event. Click here to read it now. 

Cool Mom created a short (only one minute) video of snippets of their chat together. 


 

Click to tweet: "It's on!!! @StanleyNKatrina added their Virtual Author Visit post to the #KidLitBlog Hop!"


This post is included in the 40th Kid Lit Blog Hop Did you see our Word of the Week Video yet? 
We created it with ALACRITY! Click here to view it now.




Thank you for reading and sharing, 
Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge ( & Stanley, too!)Click Here to View Our Author's Kickstarter Project:

=============================Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

We are fully funded on Kickstarter!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for spreading the word about our author's Kickstarter project and for backing it! We are so excited that our GloGirly cover will become a reality. Yay!!! 
You still have the opportunity to back the project if you haven't done so yet. Additional funds raised will be spent on publishing costs, such as professional editing, and promotional items. As a backer, you'll get to follow the process along the way. 
We can't thank you enough for believing in these pets! 
As always, thank you for reading and sharing,
Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge ( & Stanley, too!)

"Join the other paw-some people who funded @StanleyNKatrina's #kickstarter project  ☛ "Click to Tweet

Click Here to View Our Author's Kickstarter Project:

=============================Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

Word of the Week (6/2/2014): Steel River Playhouse's cast of The Music Man is preparing for their opening with alacrity.

Muhlenberg Elementary Center Students share the WOW!Before we get to this week's Word of the Week, we would like to share with you a quick video snippet from Muhlenberg Elementary Center's WOW Reading Celebration Assembly. Click here to view it now. 

Neighbor Girl and Cool Mom were honored to be included among many distinguished guests. The assembly was celebrated with gusto. We even were able to snap a picture of some students with THIS week's word. Stanley and I will share more about the assembly, in next week's Word of the Week post, stay tuned.



Word of the Week  for June 2, 2014 We are pleased to welcome cast members from Steel River Playhouse's production of The Music Man as our special video guests, this week. If you are in the Pottstown, PA area, be sure to check out their riveting production. It runs for three weekends in June. Click here for all the details. 
You may listen to the live official WOW announcement broadcast each Monday at 7:20AM on WEEU 830AM from "The voice of Berks County and Beyond." 

Links to broadcasts may be found on the Muhlenberg School District website. Click here to go there. 
Katrina is using the Words of the Week from the Muhlenberg School District with their permission. They have a wonderful Word of the Week program.
===========Are you ready for the free printables? Visit Kid Lit Printables to find these free printables:

ALACRITY printable Word of the Week Instruction CubeWord of the Week Blank Page to Fill OutNow tell us, how will you use the word ALACRITY this week? Have you seen it used anywhere? Is your school using these words? What fun activities do you have for the word? I want to know and so do my friends - please share your creations and let us know if you are using our printables - that makes us happy! 

If you and/or your family completes an activity, we would love to see a picture of it, or hear all about it. You may do this in the comments below; on our Facebook page; on Twitter (use the hashtag #kidlitwow); pinterest; Google+ - truly, anywhere you want to tell the world with gusto!
“See what @TriPacVillage is doing with ALACRITY this week” (Click to Tweet) 
★★ We are looking for video guests for the 2014-2015 school year! ★★
View the Word of the Week Playlist on YouTube Support our Author's Kickstarter Project:


As always, thank you for reading and sharing,
Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge ( & Stanley, too!)
=============================
★★ View our Kickstarter Project Page ★★Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

We interrupt your blog hopping for this important message.

To view the full video in all of its glory, click here.

Where the project stands now: 
As always, thank you for reading and sharing,
Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge ( & Stanley, too!)
=============================
★★ View our Kickstarter Project Page ★★Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

Word of the Week: It is strange when Stanley & Katrina are in CONCORD.

Before we get to the Word of the Week, we would like to congratulate the winner of our Virtual Author Visit Package: Barabara Ann Mojica. Barbara is the author of the "Little Miss History Travels To" children's book series. Congratulations, Barbara!

Stanley & I made a video for this week's word, since Muhlenberg Elementary Center is celebrating their 150th Word of the Week this week. 


Word of the Week  for May 26, 2014
You may listen to the live official WOW announcement broadcast each Monday at 7:20AM on WEEU 830AM from "The voice of Berks County and Beyond." 

Links to broadcasts may be found on the Muhlenberg School District website. Click here to go there. 
Katrina is using the Words of the Week from the Muhlenberg School District with their permission. They have a wonderful Word of the Week program.
===========Are you ready for the free printables? Visit Kid Lit Printables to find these free printables:

CONCORD printable Word of the Week Instruction CubeWord of the Week Blank Page to Fill OutNow tell us, how will you use the word CONCORD this week? Have you seen it used anywhere? Is your school using these words? What fun activities do you have for the word? I want to know and so do my friends - please share your creations and let us know if you are using our printables - that makes us happy! 

If you and/or your family completes an activity, we would love to see a picture of it, or hear all about it. You may do this in the comments below; on our Facebook page; on Twitter (use the hashtag #kidlitwow); pinterest; Google+ - truly, anywhere you want to tell the world with gusto!
“It is strange when @StanleyNKatrina are in CONCORD.” (Click to Tweet) 
★★ We need a couple more video guests for the remainder of the school year! ★★

View the Word of the Week Playlist on YouTube
Support our Author's Kickstarter Project: 


As always, thank you for reading and sharing,
Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge ( & Stanley, too!)
=============================
★★ View our Kickstarter Project Page ★★Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

A Kickstarter Song, a Hero's Guide, a Staff, and a Blog Hop?

Yay, it is Kid Lit Blog Hop time!
Welcome to our post for Kid Lit Blog Hop #39.


We are lucky pets, check out this fun parody of the song "New York, New York" written just for us for our Kickstarter Project, by the lovely Donna Marie of WriterSideUp. 
Thank you, Ms. Donna Marie! 

WHAT IS NEIGHBOR GIRL READING?  
Neighbor Girl picked up a copy of Christopher Healy's book, The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw at the library, last night. Nine chapters into the book and she has this to say, "It is just as funny as the last two. This is a great series!" 
Click here to tweet "@ChristophrHealy 's new book is "..just as funny as the last 2. This is a great series!""
She ALSO just began reading Rick Riordan's Staff of Serapis, which is now available as and ebook. This book also receives high praise from Neighbor Girl. Although, we admit, she may be biased, since she was part of the HuffPost Live program where Rick Riordan did the cover reveal for the book.  :)
This is a great combination. If you visit our "Things We Love" page, you will notice that both Rick Riordan and Christopher Healy are our top two favorite authors that have great places to visit on the web. 

Learn More About Christopher Healy:
Follow Christopher Healy on Twitter
The Official Hero's Guide Website
"Like" Christopher Healy-The Hero's Guide on Facebook
Christopher Healy's Books on Amazon

Learn More About Rick Riordan:
Follow Rick Riordan on Twitter
RickRiordan.com
"Follow" Rick Riordan on Facebook
"Like" Percy Jackson on Facebook
Rick Riordan's Books on Amazon

Thank you for reading and sharing,


Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge (and Stanley)

Disclosure: We checked "The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw" out from the library, and purchased "The Staff of Serapis" via Amazon for our ipad/Kindle app. We received no monetary or in-kind compensation for our honest reviews/sharing of these books. This post does NOT contain affiliate links. 
 **********************************
★★ View our Kickstarter Project Page ★★Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

Word of the Week: Is it possible to galvanize Stanley into using good manners?

Word of the Week  for May 19, 2014
Yippee, it is Word of the Week time.
You may listen to the live official WOW announcement broadcast each Monday at 7:20AM on WEEU 830AM from "The voice of Berks County and Beyond." 

Links to broadcasts may be found on the Muhlenberg School District website. Click here to go there. 
Katrina is using the Words of the Week from the Muhlenberg School District with their permission. They have a wonderful Word of the Week program.
===========Are you ready for the free printables? Visit Kid Lit Printables to find these free printables:


GALVANIZE printable Word of the Week Instruction CubeWord of the Week Blank Page to Fill Out Now tell us, how will you use the word GALVANIZE this week? Have you seen it used anywhere? Is your school using these words? What fun activities do you have for the word? I want to know and so do my friends - please share your creations and let us know if you are using our printables - that makes us happy!  

If you and/or your family completes an activity, we would love to see a picture of it, or hear all about it. You may do this in the comments below; on our Facebook page; on Twitter (use the hashtag #kidlitwow); pinterest; Google+ - truly, anywhere you want to tell the world with gusto!

“It is Word of the Week time! Will Katrina GALVANIZE Stanley to use manners? ” (Click to Tweet) 
★★ We need a couple more video guests for the remainder of the school year! ★★

View the Word of the Week Playlist on YouTube
Support our Author's Kickstarter Project: 

As always, thank you for reading and sharing,
Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge ( & Stanley, too!)
=============================Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

We have a Kickstarter project!

Okay, technically, Cool Mom is the project administrator for our creator and author, Felicia's project but close enough. It is a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter to raise funds for a professional cover for our second book - due out in September of 2014! We are super duper excited. Especially, that less than 24 hours into it and with very little publicity, we are over 30% of our funding goal. 
Why is reaching our goal important? 

Well, with Kickstarter, if you don't reach your goal, you don't get any of the funding. That is okay. It makes all the more fun, and a little scary. We have all sorts of fun rewards available including sponsorship opportunities for the Word of the Week videos in the upcoming school year. Neighbor Girl does a great job explaining the project in the video below. If you don't see the video below, just click here for ALL the details on our Kickstarter page. 
Of course, we would love it if you feel inclined to fund our project but please know that sharing about it is just as important, too . Thank you for your consideration, sharing, encouragement and support. We adore you. 



A quick reminder (as we will do all week) that we have the fab giveaway going on right now, as part of Children's Book Week Kid Lit Giveaway Hop. Click the picture for the full post with all of the details or click here to go directly to the Rafflecopter form to enter. Please share this with friends/family/co-workers who would love this prize. 
Thank you for reading and sharing,

Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge (and Stanley)

  


**********************************Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

2nd Graders Reading The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets

A quick reminder (as we will do all week) that we have the fab giveaway going on right now, as part of Children's Book Week Kid Lit Giveaway Hop. Click the picture for the full post with all of the details or click here to go directly to the Rafflecopter form to enter. Please share this with friends/family/co-workers who would love this prize. 
Okay, now for today's first bit of excitement..(we will have another post later today with more news).... well, this just made our day: 
Thank you for inviting Stanley and I to your school, Fair Grove School, in celebration of Children's Book Week. You have made our paws dance by sharing this moment with us!

☺ The adorable 2nd graders from Fair Grove School are reading our book. We ♥ this! ☛ http://t.co/SgXXlMfDWG #kidlit #CBW14
— Stanley & Katrina (@StanleyNKatrina) May 15, 2014

Thank you for reading and sharing,

Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge (and Stanley)


**********************************Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.

$50 Blog Tour Giveaway: Four Fiends with Author Interview (Ends 5/31/14)

A quick reminder (as we will do all week) that we have the fab giveaway going on right now, as part of Children's Book Week Kid Lit Giveaway Hop. Click the picture for the full post with all of the details or click here to go directly to the Rafflecopter form to enter. Please share this with friends/family/co-workers who would love this prize. 
Okay, now for today's excitement... we are proud to be a stop on the Four Fiends Blog Tour.  Yippee, it has a $50 Amazon Gift Card giveaway.     About the Book Title: Four Fiends (The Countdown), 2nd Edition
Author: Nikki Bennett
Publication Date: February 16, 2014 (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Independent: Firedrake Books LLC
Pages: 215
Recommended Ages: 8+ 
Summary: The Four Guardians of the world have gone missing. They’ve been kidnapped by some of the most diabolical fiends that ever existed. Now, four misfit kids from different parts of the world must band together to save the Guardians. Along the way, they learn to work together, as they confront and conquer their deepest fears.    PurchaseAmazon | Barnes and Noble 
Interview with Author, Nikki BennettHi, Ms. Bennett. Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for our visitors. We are big fans of your book, Four Fiends, which Cool Mom reviewed over a year ago, and we are thrilled to be participating in your book tour.
=====S&K: What is your name, where do you currently reside, and where did you grow-up?
Hi everyone! My name is Nikki Bennett, I live in the beautiful country of Japan, but I am originally from Virginia, United States. Also a beautiful place.
S&K: Summarize Four Fiends for us in 20 words or less.
Four kids join forces to save the Four Guardians of the World from a horrible fate.
S&K: Did you always want to be an author?
I always wrote as a kid. When I was five, I wrote chapter books (in pencil, on those big pads they make for little kids, but still--chapters!) But somewhere in my teens, I put the pen down, and rarely went back to it. Then, a few years ago, I got the writing bug and started writing again. Just in the past two years, I’ve completed first drafts on at least seven different manuscripts, and can’t seem to stop writing!
S&K: Seven? Wow! Even though we are pets, we know that the best writers read often. Do you have a favorite author?
I’m not a horror fan, but my favorite author is Stephen King. He writes the way I want to write. I also like Neil Gaiman’s style. My biggest childhood influence was C.S. Lewis.
S&K: What book are you reading now?
At this moment, I’m busy reading submissions for my new publishing company, Firedrake Books. So I’m not reading a published book, but I’m about to start on a Young Adult book called Chasing Xaris by a wonderful indie author named Samantha Bennett (no relation!)
S&K: Do you have any advice for other writers?
I’ll plagiarize Stephen King’s advice here. To be a successful writer, you must write every day AND read every day.
S&K: How much time do you typically spend on editing?
Lots! I generally finish my first draft manuscript for a book in about a month, but it is a very rough draft. I spend almost more time in the editing process than I do on the original writing.
S&K: We are the same way. Our second book is about to go through editing. Hmm... do you have any editing tips?
I do, and you can read about some of them on the Firedrake Books Blog (www.firedrakebooks.com/firedup) under the “Writing and Publishing Tips” section. But the best advice I can give is for authors to work with a professional editor, no matter how much you go over your own story you aren’t going to catch everything. If you can’t afford an editor, at least get some good beta readers. It’s amazing what other people pick on that you’d never notice yourself.
S&K: We have read on your website that you love to travel. How many countries have you visited and do you have a favorite location to visit?
So far, including the US, I have visited 20 countries. Lots more to go! The most remote, exotic country I’ve been to is the Kingdom of Bhutan, up in the Himalayas (flying past Mt. Everest was really cool!) but if I’m being honest--my absolute favorite spot on the planet is still the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Too many good memories there :D
S&K: In Four Fiends you have four children from Hong Kong, Japan, Italy and the U.S. What made you chose these four locations?
The book idea first came to me when I visited Hong Kong. My husband and I got lost and stumbled into this garden with a huge storm water tunnel--Jinjing’s Cave in the book. I just stared at that tunnel and thought--there’s a book idea in there somewhere!
The character of Saburo (Japanese for third-born) lives in Japan, because I live in Japan, and I wanted to capture some flavor from this beautiful country in the book. In fact, the sequel to Four Fiends--called Three Treasures (which will be out this fall)--is set mostly in Japan.
My father comes from Italy, and the Italian kid in Four Fiends, Pietro, lives on the Adriatic Sea, where my father’s cousins still live. The ancient church where Pietro finds his magical creature is based on one I’ve seen along the cliffs on that coast.
And I had to get an American in there, since America is where I’m from. So Kate lives in New Jersey, a state I haven’t explored much, but would like to, someday.
S&K: What was your favorite moment in elementary school?
Wow, that goes back! Let’s see--I was horrible at gym. Couldn’t run well so I was picked last for almost every sport team--except volleyball. I could serve like no tomorrow. And in elementary school, little kids can’t volley the ball back at all, so if you could serve well, you could win games. I remember one day I served eleven perfect shots in a row and my team surrounded me and sang “We are the Champions” to me as we left the volleyball court in triumph. That was probably my most memorable experience. :D
Katrina: That sounds lovely. Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor?
The chocolatier the better.
Katrina: Our human friends say that too, but Stanley and I can't eat chocolate. Do you have a favorite beverage?
Lots and lots of coffee :D
Stanley: Ugh. Katrina had coffee once - it wasn't pretty. Okay, pretend that you just received news that your book hit the NY Times Best Sellers list! How do you celebrate?
Well, knowing me and my penchant for travel, I’d celebrate by taking a trip somewhere I’ve never been before. Probably Cambodia. That’s next on my bucket list.
S&K: What else would you like us to know about you?
I love horses and the outdoors. Camping, caving, hiking, exploring, love all that stuff. I dream of living in an RV someday and spending all my time traveling and exploring, and writing stories.
S&K: Finally, and most importantly, are you a dog or a cat person?
I am in the Dog Club :D But I have owned a few cats too. Right now, living in a small apartment in Japan, I have neither. But when I can move to some place with more space, I can’t wait to bring a new dog into our family.

Stanley: Katrina has left the room. Thank you, Ms. Bennett.The Buzz"This was one of the most entertaining reads for the whole family we have found in a long time. The characters are very believable, and I am always a sucker for heroes that have to find their way. The reading is very fluid and easily understood by the little kids when read aloud (sounds silly but anyone trying to do this will tell you it's not as easy a thing to achieve as it sounds) and the kids all seem to enjoy the story. The history is easily accessible even without a lot of research or background knowledge. The kids are very motivated to research and learn more on their own because this story has captured their interest. I already have many home learning lessons in mind using this book and have begun developing them with my kids. I think this is a book that will be found in classrooms very soon! Great job! I'm looking forward to more soon!!!" ~ 5 Star Review, Mariah W., Amazon"Excellent read in and of itself, and provides excellent, character-building source material for reading to youngsters. The characters are well written and realistic, and the storyline is cleverly written and intelligent." ~ 5 Star Review, Alia K., Amazon"Fantastic read. I loved the characters in this book so much that I re-read to my 9 year old after finishing it. I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes stories about adventure and believing in yourself." ~ 5 Star Review, Keith, Amazon 
About the Author: Nikki Bennett
Nikki Bennett is an author and world traveler currently living in Japan. She loves traveling, and incorporates all the culture and folklore she can from the countries she visits into her stories. Nikki has two books out right now. Her first book, FOUR FIENDS is a MG fantasy adventure and her newest book, MUKADE ISLAND is a YA adventure/fantasy (think Lord of the Flies meets LOST, it it was set on a different world!) Find out all about Nikki's books at www.worldofnikki.com
Website | Author Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 
Four Fiends Blog Tour Schedule (2014)May 1
Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch & Review)Victoria Simcox's Blog (Author Interview)May 2
When I Grow Up I Wanna Write a Kids Book (Review)Cherry Mischievous (Spotlight)May 3
Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)May 4
Stitch Says (Review)Musings by Jay Faulkner (Review)May 5
Christy's Cozy Corners (Review)Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys (Review)May 6
The World of ContestPatti (Review)Unschooling Mama (Review)Palace of Twelve Pillars (Review)May 7
WS Momma Readers Nook (Review)The Ninja Librarian (Guest Post)May 8
Sunshine, Bubbles & Books (Review)BeachBoundBooks (Review)Book Reviews & Giveaways (Review)May 9
Bookroom Reviews (Review)Purple Monster Coupons (Review)May 10
Coffee & Books & Art (Review)Musing With Crayola Kim (Review)Jemima Pett, Author (Review)May 11
Alwaysjoart (Review)May 12
Kay LaLone, I Love Books (Review)Mixed Bag Mama (Review)SoCal City Kids (Review)May 13
We Are The DinoFamily (Review)Identity Discovery (Review)Where Connor & JT Go (Review)May 14
        Stanley & Katrina (Author Interview)
Oh My Bookness (Review) 
* Blog Tour Giveaway * Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: May 31, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: 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, Nikki Bennett and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thank you for reading and sharing,

Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge (and Stanley)


**********************************Follow Stanley and Katrina on Twitter  * Join Stanley and Katrina on Facebook 
Click here to find out how you may purchase our fun book now!
Check out our current offers/giveaways.
Learn how you may Skype with our author.