June McCrary Jacobs's Blog: ~ Author June McCrary Jacobs ~, page 100
August 5, 2018
~ MMGM HISTORICAL FICTION FEATURE STRONGHEART ~
~ MIDDLE-GRADE HISTORICAL
FICTION FEATURE ~ -- 'STRONGHEART:
WONDER DOG OF THE SILVER SCREEN' -- AUTHOR CANDACE FLEMING &
ILLUSTRATOR ERIC ROHMANN~Post Includes: Book Spotlight,
Author Bio & Book Review~
LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS
ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
A heavily illustrated middle-grade novel based on real events about a canine movie star of the 1920s.
When movie director Larry Trimble travels to Berlin searching for his next big star -- a dog! -- he finds Etzel, a fierce, highly trained three-year-old German shepherd police dog. Larry sees past the snarls and growls and brings Etzel back to Hollywood, where he is renamed Strongheart. Along with screenwriter Jane Murfin, Larry grooms his protege to be a star of the silver screen--and he succeeds, starting with Strongheart's first film, The Love Master, which is released in 1921. Strongheart is soon joined by a leading lady, a German shepherd named Lady Julie, and becomes a sensation.
But when Strongheart is accused of attacking a girl, he must prove his innocence--and it will take his best acting skills to do so.
Review:
"With the story’s most incredible plot developments based on fact, this fascinating and heartwarming piece of historical fiction will be met with wonder."—Booklist, starred review
ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}:
I have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR {from Goodreads}:
Eric Rohmann won the Caldecott Medal for My Friend Rabbit, and a Caldecott Honor for Time Flies. He is also the author and illustrator of Bone Dog, Clara and Asha, A Kitten Tale, and The Cinder-Eyed Cats, among other books for children. He has illustrated many other books, including Last Song, based on a poem by James Guthrie, and has created book jackets for a number of novels, including His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman.
Rohmann was born in Riverside, Illinois in 1957. He grew up in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago. As a boy, he played Little League baseball, read comic books, and collected rocks and minerals, insects, leaves, and animal skulls.
Rohmann has his BS in Art and an MS in Studio Art from Illinois State University, and an MFA in Printmaking/Fine Bookmaking from Arizona State University. He also studied Anthropology and Biology. He taught printmaking, painting, and fine bookmaking at Belvoir Terrace in Massachusettes and introductory drawing, fine bookmaking, and printmaking at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. He lives in a suburb of Chicago.
MY REVIEW:
There are five little words on a book cover that instantly capture my interest. 'Based on a true story'. The book gets bonus points if it is historical fiction set between the turn of the twentieth century and the 1970s. More bonus points if it's about a horse or a dog. It's over-the-top if it is based on historical events which occurred in my home state of California. You can see where I'm going with this . . . 'Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen' is set in Hollywood of the early 1920s and stars an extraordinary male German shepherd who wowed movie audiences of the time.
Before finding this book on the 'New Book Shelf' in the Children's section of the local public library I had never heard of this amazing creature. After reading this entertaining and well-formatted book, I know a lot about this dog's journey from being a highly-trained police dog named Etzel in Berlin, Germany, to being a superstar in Hollywood renamed Strongheart.
I'd like to mention at the outset that there are several scenes near the beginning of the story where Etzel is physically abused by the police officers who are trying to train him. Readers are led to believe through dialogue that it is Etzel's fault he is mistreated because they just want to toughen him up for police work.
While this abuse bothered me greatly, I feel it is a teachable moment for middle-graders to learn how ignorance prevailed {and prevails} many times when people are trying to train an animal to do what the human wants the animal to do! This is an opportunity to open a discussion on the proper treatment of animals in our society.
The story takes place in Hollywood during the era of silent movies. Black and white film, no sound, placards with text on them to share information with the audience, and live music played in the theater. The illustrations by Caldecott Medalist, Eric Rohmann, contribute greatly to the ambience and mood of the book.
The illustrations are all in black and white -- replicating the silent movies. Many of Mr. Rohmann's drawings are in panels which simulate the viewing of the silent movie on a big screen. I felt the illustrator prsevented clever and entertaining artwork for readers of all ages.
Many emotions are stirred up in this novel. Sadness when a young Etzel is taken from a nurturing home shared with his mother and two litter mates. Anger at Etzel's physical abuse at the police station. Apprehension when Etzel is purchased from the German Police by Hollywood movie mogul, Larry Trimble, for the purpose of being a silent movie star. Amazement at Strongheart's natural intelligence and ability to emote or 'act' with direction in six feature films in the 1920s. Happiness when Strongheart is successful at the box office.
There are also some personal triumphs and tragedies for this canine. Joy when he meets and 'marries' his leading lady, Lady Jule. Outrage when Strongheart is wrongly accused of eating a little girl in a railroad tunnel. Happiness when Lady Jule has puppies and Strongheart finally has a family of his own again.
The back matter for this book is excellent. The author includes a several page background to the story in her 'The Truth Behind This Tale' section. There she includes the titles of Strongheart's six movies along with a link to the only movie of this star's which can be viewed today, 'The Return of Boston Blackie', produced in 1927. {The link is included for your pleasure below in my 'Fun Bonus Content' section.} There is a brief photo gallery and Bibliography included, too.
Highly-recommended for fans of animal stories, historical fiction, California history, or film history. I believe this would be a powerful read-aloud for families and classes to share together. A perfect culminating activity would be to watch 'The Return of Boston Blackie' together and later compare Strongheart's on-screen personality with what the author has portrayed in the book. Oh--and don't forget the popcorn!
***FUN BONUS CONTENT:
-- The author included the following link in the back matter for this book. Apparently, only Strongheart's final movie, The Return of Boston Blackie, can be seen today. Click on the following link to watch the movie on youtube.com.
LINK TO 'THE RETURN OF BOSTON BLACKIE' MOVIE ON YOUTUBE.COM
-- I found this link on the author's website. This interesting interview was published in June, 2018.
LINK TO AUTHOR'S INTERVIEW WITH WORLD-RENOWNED ANIMAL TRAINER, TERESA ANN MILLER
-- While searching Amazon for information for this blog post I came across a book written by Lawrence Trimble, Strongheart's owner and movie producer, published back in 1926. Here's a link to that listing, if you're interested:
LINK TO AMAZON LISTING OF: 'STRONGHEART: THE STORY OF A WONDER DOG'
----------------------------------
I borrowed this book from the 'New Book' shelves in the Children's section of the local public library.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Tuesday, August 7th: Blog Tour Stop for a clean romance, 'Billionaire Auction'. Post includes book spotlight, excerpt, and tour-wide giveaway. Tour organized by Beck Valley Books.
-- Thursday, August 9th: Book Blitz with Spotlight and Excerpt from the title 'Never Let Go' from Anne Carol's 'Faithfully Yours Series'. Post includes a book spotlight, excerpt, and giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, August 10th: Blog Tour Stop for the inspirational romantic suspense title, 'Darkwater Secrets', by author Robin Caroll. Post includes a book spotlight and my one-on-one interview with the author along with a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, August 13th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday S.T.E.A.M. Education post featuring a 3-D art book for middle-graders.
-- Wednesday, August 15th: Cover Reveal Blitz for 'When You Look at Me'. Blitz organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, August 20th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Retro Fiction feature on some of my favorite Beverly Cleary books from the 1950s and 1960s.
# # # # #
FICTION FEATURE ~ -- 'STRONGHEART:
WONDER DOG OF THE SILVER SCREEN' -- AUTHOR CANDACE FLEMING &
ILLUSTRATOR ERIC ROHMANN~Post Includes: Book Spotlight,
Author Bio & Book Review~
LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
A heavily illustrated middle-grade novel based on real events about a canine movie star of the 1920s.
When movie director Larry Trimble travels to Berlin searching for his next big star -- a dog! -- he finds Etzel, a fierce, highly trained three-year-old German shepherd police dog. Larry sees past the snarls and growls and brings Etzel back to Hollywood, where he is renamed Strongheart. Along with screenwriter Jane Murfin, Larry grooms his protege to be a star of the silver screen--and he succeeds, starting with Strongheart's first film, The Love Master, which is released in 1921. Strongheart is soon joined by a leading lady, a German shepherd named Lady Julie, and becomes a sensation.
But when Strongheart is accused of attacking a girl, he must prove his innocence--and it will take his best acting skills to do so.
Review:
"With the story’s most incredible plot developments based on fact, this fascinating and heartwarming piece of historical fiction will be met with wonder."—Booklist, starred review
ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}:
I have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR {from Goodreads}:
Eric Rohmann won the Caldecott Medal for My Friend Rabbit, and a Caldecott Honor for Time Flies. He is also the author and illustrator of Bone Dog, Clara and Asha, A Kitten Tale, and The Cinder-Eyed Cats, among other books for children. He has illustrated many other books, including Last Song, based on a poem by James Guthrie, and has created book jackets for a number of novels, including His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman.
Rohmann was born in Riverside, Illinois in 1957. He grew up in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago. As a boy, he played Little League baseball, read comic books, and collected rocks and minerals, insects, leaves, and animal skulls.
Rohmann has his BS in Art and an MS in Studio Art from Illinois State University, and an MFA in Printmaking/Fine Bookmaking from Arizona State University. He also studied Anthropology and Biology. He taught printmaking, painting, and fine bookmaking at Belvoir Terrace in Massachusettes and introductory drawing, fine bookmaking, and printmaking at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. He lives in a suburb of Chicago.
MY REVIEW:
There are five little words on a book cover that instantly capture my interest. 'Based on a true story'. The book gets bonus points if it is historical fiction set between the turn of the twentieth century and the 1970s. More bonus points if it's about a horse or a dog. It's over-the-top if it is based on historical events which occurred in my home state of California. You can see where I'm going with this . . . 'Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen' is set in Hollywood of the early 1920s and stars an extraordinary male German shepherd who wowed movie audiences of the time.
Before finding this book on the 'New Book Shelf' in the Children's section of the local public library I had never heard of this amazing creature. After reading this entertaining and well-formatted book, I know a lot about this dog's journey from being a highly-trained police dog named Etzel in Berlin, Germany, to being a superstar in Hollywood renamed Strongheart.
I'd like to mention at the outset that there are several scenes near the beginning of the story where Etzel is physically abused by the police officers who are trying to train him. Readers are led to believe through dialogue that it is Etzel's fault he is mistreated because they just want to toughen him up for police work.
While this abuse bothered me greatly, I feel it is a teachable moment for middle-graders to learn how ignorance prevailed {and prevails} many times when people are trying to train an animal to do what the human wants the animal to do! This is an opportunity to open a discussion on the proper treatment of animals in our society.
The story takes place in Hollywood during the era of silent movies. Black and white film, no sound, placards with text on them to share information with the audience, and live music played in the theater. The illustrations by Caldecott Medalist, Eric Rohmann, contribute greatly to the ambience and mood of the book.
The illustrations are all in black and white -- replicating the silent movies. Many of Mr. Rohmann's drawings are in panels which simulate the viewing of the silent movie on a big screen. I felt the illustrator prsevented clever and entertaining artwork for readers of all ages.
Many emotions are stirred up in this novel. Sadness when a young Etzel is taken from a nurturing home shared with his mother and two litter mates. Anger at Etzel's physical abuse at the police station. Apprehension when Etzel is purchased from the German Police by Hollywood movie mogul, Larry Trimble, for the purpose of being a silent movie star. Amazement at Strongheart's natural intelligence and ability to emote or 'act' with direction in six feature films in the 1920s. Happiness when Strongheart is successful at the box office.
There are also some personal triumphs and tragedies for this canine. Joy when he meets and 'marries' his leading lady, Lady Jule. Outrage when Strongheart is wrongly accused of eating a little girl in a railroad tunnel. Happiness when Lady Jule has puppies and Strongheart finally has a family of his own again.
The back matter for this book is excellent. The author includes a several page background to the story in her 'The Truth Behind This Tale' section. There she includes the titles of Strongheart's six movies along with a link to the only movie of this star's which can be viewed today, 'The Return of Boston Blackie', produced in 1927. {The link is included for your pleasure below in my 'Fun Bonus Content' section.} There is a brief photo gallery and Bibliography included, too.
Highly-recommended for fans of animal stories, historical fiction, California history, or film history. I believe this would be a powerful read-aloud for families and classes to share together. A perfect culminating activity would be to watch 'The Return of Boston Blackie' together and later compare Strongheart's on-screen personality with what the author has portrayed in the book. Oh--and don't forget the popcorn!
***FUN BONUS CONTENT:
-- The author included the following link in the back matter for this book. Apparently, only Strongheart's final movie, The Return of Boston Blackie, can be seen today. Click on the following link to watch the movie on youtube.com.
LINK TO 'THE RETURN OF BOSTON BLACKIE' MOVIE ON YOUTUBE.COM
-- I found this link on the author's website. This interesting interview was published in June, 2018.
LINK TO AUTHOR'S INTERVIEW WITH WORLD-RENOWNED ANIMAL TRAINER, TERESA ANN MILLER
-- While searching Amazon for information for this blog post I came across a book written by Lawrence Trimble, Strongheart's owner and movie producer, published back in 1926. Here's a link to that listing, if you're interested:
LINK TO AMAZON LISTING OF: 'STRONGHEART: THE STORY OF A WONDER DOG'
----------------------------------
I borrowed this book from the 'New Book' shelves in the Children's section of the local public library.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Tuesday, August 7th: Blog Tour Stop for a clean romance, 'Billionaire Auction'. Post includes book spotlight, excerpt, and tour-wide giveaway. Tour organized by Beck Valley Books.
-- Thursday, August 9th: Book Blitz with Spotlight and Excerpt from the title 'Never Let Go' from Anne Carol's 'Faithfully Yours Series'. Post includes a book spotlight, excerpt, and giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, August 10th: Blog Tour Stop for the inspirational romantic suspense title, 'Darkwater Secrets', by author Robin Caroll. Post includes a book spotlight and my one-on-one interview with the author along with a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, August 13th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday S.T.E.A.M. Education post featuring a 3-D art book for middle-graders.
-- Wednesday, August 15th: Cover Reveal Blitz for 'When You Look at Me'. Blitz organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, August 20th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Retro Fiction feature on some of my favorite Beverly Cleary books from the 1950s and 1960s.
# # # # #
July 29, 2018
~ MMGM WHY CAN'T I BE YOU? ~
~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE
MONDAY CONTEMPORARY
FICTION FEATURE ~
-- 'WHY CAN'T I BE YOU' --
AUTHOR MELISSA WALKER
~Post Includes Book Spotlight & Review~
LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:
“This book is for anyone who has ever felt ‘less than’ or on the outside. That is to say, this is a book for everyone.” —Elana K. Arnold, author of What Girls Are Made Of
"With a clear, compelling voice, Walker creates a believable world where socioeconomic tensions challenge, but never defeat, her well-rounded characters."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Claire Ladd knows that this summer is going to be special. She and her two best friends, Ronan and Brianna, are turning twelve. She is leaving camp behind and gets to do what she wants all day. She feels everything starting to change.
But things don’t always change for the better.
With Brianna’s cousin Eden visiting for the summer, Claire feels like a third wheel. Even though she is only a year older, Eden seems so much more sophisticated and glamorous . . . and when she's around, she takes up everyone’s attention, including Brianna’s.
But that doesn’t explain why things have felt awkward with Brianna ever since she moved to a fancy new house, or why Ronan, who lives in the trailer next to Claire’s, has started acting moody anytime anyone mentions his dad.
Claire has always been happy with her life just as it is, but as the summer wears on and the issues with her friends start to grow, she can’t help but wonder: Would everything be better if she could just be someone else?
MY REVIEW:I love to browse the 'New Book' shelves at the local public library. I especially enjoy wandering into the Children's Section because the new book shelves there are always filled with well, new books!
The shelves are labelled by category: Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle-Grade, Non-Fiction, and Biographies. The library's technical processing department adds the appropriate logo sticker to the spine for historical, fantasy, mystery, biography, etc. I love the organization and attention to detail children's librarians give to their presentation of books for their audience--or for grown-ups such as I who love reading from their collection!
This novel is set during summer break and is the first-person narrative of eleven-year-old Claire Ladd. She is the only child of her young parents who divorced when Claire was around two years old.
The main character and her mother live in the Twin Pines Trailer Park, while her father lives in an apartment complex a few minutes away. Claire has regular visitation with her father, and she appears to adore both of her parents.
Claire and her friends are going through the normal tween issues of feeling awkward about the difference between the 'haves and have-nots' as we used to call it. Ronan Michaels, a boy who lives next door to Claire in the trailer park, and Claire spend a lot of time together. Their friendship is long-lasting and strong, but they are both going through some difficult times internally, so they periodically lash out at one another.
Claire's best friend is Brianna Foley whose family is wealthy. The social differences between these two girls is evident, but they have a true bond and most of the time their disparate lifestyles do not seem to have an effect on their relationship.
Things are perking along when Brianna's slightly older cousin, Eden, arrives on the scene. She is almost thirteen and is caught up in the world of fashion, make-up, and being beautiful and cool. Naturally, her presence and domination of Brianna's time make Claire jealous.
Ronan's father suffers from debilitating depression, and Mr. Michaels's inability to relate to his son in any way negatively affects Ronan's feelings about himself and his father. As a classroom teacher for over twenty years, I saw the devastating and profound affect a parent's depression had on a child in more than one instance. I felt the author did an excellent job of addressing this issue in the story. Middle-graders are old enough and sophisticated enough to begin learning about mental health and how it impacts individuals and their families.
Another strong point of this story, in my opinion, was the close relationship Claire has with her mother. It probably helps that Claire helps around the house with chores and appears to be respectful to her mom. Mrs. Ladd is a cleaning woman, and she works six days per week to provide for the two of them.
When mother and daughter are talking they actually listen to each other. When Claire begins gossiping or criticizing others, her mother recites the cleaning lady's motto: "We may know other people's bathrooms, but we don't know their real stories." {page 61}.
Overall, I felt this was an enjoyable story with lots of interesting characters and events. There was some bullying and teasing along the lines of what seems typical in this age group. There are some ruffled feathers and hurt feelings amongst the friends, but I venture to say this is true in friendships at any age. {At least that's been my experience.}
Mostly, this is a story about friendship, letting go of initial impressions, learning to let go of jealousy, and being true to yourself, your family, and your friends. My favorite thing about this book is that kindness prevailed in almost every situation, and I believe this world sorely needs more kindness.
I look forward to reading more middle-grade books written by this talented author.
Recommended to fans of clean middle-grade fiction, friendship stories, stories with an assortment of well-developed and diverse characters, and summertime fiction!
------------------------
Borrowed from the 'New Books' shelves at the local public library.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC': -- For August: My blog calendar is filling up with great posts featuring MMGM middle-grade fiction and non-fiction, Christian fiction and non-fiction, historical fiction, romantic suspense. Of course, there will be loads of good reads and giveaways!# # # # #
July 27, 2018
~ BLAST FOR LOVE AT LAKEWOOD MED ~
~ BOOK BLAST ~
-- 'LOVE AT LAKEWOOD MED' --
AUTHOR TJ AMBERSON~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, AuthorBio, Snippet & Giveaway~
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Genre: Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: March 13, 2018
Savannah Drake would be thrilled about starting her final year of medical school if it weren’t for one thing: she has to spend a month working in the emergency room with cold, aloof Dr. Wesley Kent as her mentor. When her first day in the ER proves to be a humiliating disaster, Savannah is ready to swear off emergency medicine forever. Gradually, though, she finds that the unpredictable, emotional experience of caring for patients in the emergency room is affecting her far differently than she expected – and Dr. Kent turns out to be anything but the arrogant attending physician that she assumed him to be. But just when Savannah finally admits to herself that she is falling for Dr. Kent, she learns that things at the hospital are not all what they seem. Faced with a seemingly impossible choice, Savannah must decide between her future career and everything that she has come to care so much about.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and nutty cocker spaniel. Her most recent novels include The Kingdom Of Nereth, Fusion, and Love at Lakewood Med. When she’s not writing, TJ can probably be found enjoying a hot chocolate, pretending to know how to garden, playing the piano, or surfing the Internet for cheap plane tickets.
GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE
SNIPPET:
Next to me, Doctor Kent remains all business. He moves to my right side and carefully lifts me to a sitting position. The next thing I know, he has slung my arm over his shoulder, picked me up, and begun to carry me. At first, I’m too shell-shocked to do anything. But as I get rocked by the steady motion of his steps, weariness overcomes me, and I drop my aching head against his chest.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE: July 26-
Caffeinated Reads
CherylBBookBlog
Wishful Endings
Paulette’s Papers
July 27-
Singing Librarian Books
Heidi Reads…
Why Not Because I Said So
July 28-
Life Is What It’s Called
Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
Blooming with Books
-----------------------------------
**P.S. THIS IS POST #100 ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC'! I'M THRILLED TO SHARE THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN AND SUPPORT OF MY BLOG.
ABOUT THE BOOK: 
Genre: Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: March 13, 2018
Savannah Drake would be thrilled about starting her final year of medical school if it weren’t for one thing: she has to spend a month working in the emergency room with cold, aloof Dr. Wesley Kent as her mentor. When her first day in the ER proves to be a humiliating disaster, Savannah is ready to swear off emergency medicine forever. Gradually, though, she finds that the unpredictable, emotional experience of caring for patients in the emergency room is affecting her far differently than she expected – and Dr. Kent turns out to be anything but the arrogant attending physician that she assumed him to be. But just when Savannah finally admits to herself that she is falling for Dr. Kent, she learns that things at the hospital are not all what they seem. Faced with a seemingly impossible choice, Savannah must decide between her future career and everything that she has come to care so much about.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and nutty cocker spaniel. Her most recent novels include The Kingdom Of Nereth, Fusion, and Love at Lakewood Med. When she’s not writing, TJ can probably be found enjoying a hot chocolate, pretending to know how to garden, playing the piano, or surfing the Internet for cheap plane tickets.
GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE
SNIPPET:
Next to me, Doctor Kent remains all business. He moves to my right side and carefully lifts me to a sitting position. The next thing I know, he has slung my arm over his shoulder, picked me up, and begun to carry me. At first, I’m too shell-shocked to do anything. But as I get rocked by the steady motion of his steps, weariness overcomes me, and I drop my aching head against his chest.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE: July 26-
Caffeinated Reads
CherylBBookBlog
Wishful Endings
Paulette’s Papers
July 27-
Singing Librarian Books
Heidi Reads…
Why Not Because I Said So
July 28-
Life Is What It’s Called
Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
Blooming with Books
-----------------------------------**P.S. THIS IS POST #100 ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC'! I'M THRILLED TO SHARE THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN AND SUPPORT OF MY BLOG.
July 26, 2018
~ BLOG TOUR THE SECRET OF HAVERSHAM HOUSE ~
~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~
-- 'THE SECRET OF HAVERSHAM HOUSE' --
AUTHOR JULIE MATERN~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author Bio,'Ten Behind-the-Scenes' Facts Shared by theAuthor, Snippet & Giveaway~
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Genre: Christian, Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: June 12, 2018
Francesca Haversham is eighteen years old and about to step into a glittering future – all she has to do is secure her wealth with an advantageous marriage. Then she learns the truth:her entire identity is a lie. Now Francesca faces a horrible choice. Will she give up all she knows or continue to lie about her past and risk everything, including her heart?
GOODREADS | AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julie Matern is a resident of Utah. She attended the University of Exeter in Exeter, England, and graduated with a double major in French and Education. She was born and raised in England, moving to America after her marriage. Julie is the mother of six children. She has served in the PTA for over 20 years, taught tap dance, and enjoys amateur photography. She is the author of ‘British War Children’ ( for which she received a “Recommended Read” award from the League of Utah Writers) and ‘British War Children 2: An Enemy Among Us’.
Hometown: Highland, UT
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE TEN BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK:
The view from the villa in Grasse, France is the view from my apartment when I worked there one summer. I pulled back the shutters ( all French homes have them) and just gasped.
Septimus Sladden is an actual ancestor of mine. It was such a delicious name I had to use it. Although the actual man was not a vicar the name seemed to suggest that profession to me.
I have been to Italy but only to Rome. The movie, ‘A Room with a view’ was my inspiration for Giorgio’s empire.
The first manuscript was full of dates. Then one day I realized that the French Revolution might prevent some of my events and after further research I took out all the dates so that the timeline was more vague.
My first two books were historical fiction for ages 8-13. There was a small cast of characters so keeping track of them was easy. Not so with this book. Every new event seemed to call for new characters and in the end I had to put them on a genealogical tree and fill out family group sheets for each family to keep them straight. I also had a bio sheet for each character for reference.
Many of my ancestors are from Wiltshire which made it a good choice for Haversham House. Having been raised in London myself and taking every opportunity to visit the places of interest I think I’ll have to set a future novel there.
The idea of arranged marriage is a very foreign notion to our culture but quite standard for the upper classes of that period. I am fascinated by it. Francesca’s paternal grandparents, though both selfish and egotistical have managed to build a workable relationship when we first meet them. It makes me wonder how many people were able to be happy in such forced unions? It is a topic I will continue to prod in future novels.
I do not need a quiet place to write and I am able write in snippets if that’s all the time I have. This year I opened a fortune cookie and this was inside: (picture) ( I’ll send it in a separate email as I can’t figure out how to insert it here on my phone. Hopefully you can make that magic happen!)
I thought perhaps Augusta Haversham was too unrealistically awful and that no one would treat their granddaughter that badly but I am part of a closed FB group and not long after I created Augusta someone shared a true story about how awful her mother was to her and I decided perhaps Augusta wasn’t unrealistic but that I was just blessed to be part of a great family!
I must confess that I have never dated anyone as heartless as Mr Ashbourne. My husband is definitely a Phillip!
SNIPPET:
Francesca stopped breathing as Mr. Ashbourne gently took her gloved hand in his and expertly spun her around the room, leaving her former partner spluttering at the lack of manners, in the center of the dance floor. She became dizzy at the realization that Mr. Ashbourne was actually dancing with her.
After several turns, he lowered his head and whispered into her ear, his nose tickling her skin and sending a thrill up her spine, causing a delicious sensation in her midriff.
“Are you unwell?” he asked. “You look faint.”
She recovered herself and observed that he had a playful smile on his lips, fully aware of the power his presence had on young ladies. Not wanting to appear as inexperienced as she really was, she blurted out, “Oh no, you merely surprised me, that is all.”
“Then I shall take pleasure in surprising you whenever I can as it only serves to heighten your beauty!”
Francesca’s cheeks burned under his scrutiny and she bent her neck to avoid his piercing gaze and gather her confused thoughts.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
TOUR SCHEDULE:
Tour Landing Page
July 23-The Power of Words | Paulette’s Papers
July 24-Life is What It’s Called | Encouraging Words From the Tea Queen | Blooming with Books
July 25-Pause for Tales | Reading Is My SuperPower | Singing Librarian Books
July 26-Heidi Reads… | Bookworm Lisa | Why Not? Because I Said So!
July 27-Remembrancy | Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
July 28-Edits and Reviews by Leslie | Jorie Loves A Story
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC': -- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for a Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Monday, July 30th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Post: Title--TBA # # # # #
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Genre: Christian, Fiction, Historical, Regency, RomancePublisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: June 12, 2018
Francesca Haversham is eighteen years old and about to step into a glittering future – all she has to do is secure her wealth with an advantageous marriage. Then she learns the truth:her entire identity is a lie. Now Francesca faces a horrible choice. Will she give up all she knows or continue to lie about her past and risk everything, including her heart?
GOODREADS | AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julie Matern is a resident of Utah. She attended the University of Exeter in Exeter, England, and graduated with a double major in French and Education. She was born and raised in England, moving to America after her marriage. Julie is the mother of six children. She has served in the PTA for over 20 years, taught tap dance, and enjoys amateur photography. She is the author of ‘British War Children’ ( for which she received a “Recommended Read” award from the League of Utah Writers) and ‘British War Children 2: An Enemy Among Us’.
Hometown: Highland, UT
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE TEN BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK:
The view from the villa in Grasse, France is the view from my apartment when I worked there one summer. I pulled back the shutters ( all French homes have them) and just gasped.
Septimus Sladden is an actual ancestor of mine. It was such a delicious name I had to use it. Although the actual man was not a vicar the name seemed to suggest that profession to me.
I have been to Italy but only to Rome. The movie, ‘A Room with a view’ was my inspiration for Giorgio’s empire.
The first manuscript was full of dates. Then one day I realized that the French Revolution might prevent some of my events and after further research I took out all the dates so that the timeline was more vague.
My first two books were historical fiction for ages 8-13. There was a small cast of characters so keeping track of them was easy. Not so with this book. Every new event seemed to call for new characters and in the end I had to put them on a genealogical tree and fill out family group sheets for each family to keep them straight. I also had a bio sheet for each character for reference.
Many of my ancestors are from Wiltshire which made it a good choice for Haversham House. Having been raised in London myself and taking every opportunity to visit the places of interest I think I’ll have to set a future novel there.
The idea of arranged marriage is a very foreign notion to our culture but quite standard for the upper classes of that period. I am fascinated by it. Francesca’s paternal grandparents, though both selfish and egotistical have managed to build a workable relationship when we first meet them. It makes me wonder how many people were able to be happy in such forced unions? It is a topic I will continue to prod in future novels.
I do not need a quiet place to write and I am able write in snippets if that’s all the time I have. This year I opened a fortune cookie and this was inside: (picture) ( I’ll send it in a separate email as I can’t figure out how to insert it here on my phone. Hopefully you can make that magic happen!)
I thought perhaps Augusta Haversham was too unrealistically awful and that no one would treat their granddaughter that badly but I am part of a closed FB group and not long after I created Augusta someone shared a true story about how awful her mother was to her and I decided perhaps Augusta wasn’t unrealistic but that I was just blessed to be part of a great family!
I must confess that I have never dated anyone as heartless as Mr Ashbourne. My husband is definitely a Phillip!
SNIPPET:
Francesca stopped breathing as Mr. Ashbourne gently took her gloved hand in his and expertly spun her around the room, leaving her former partner spluttering at the lack of manners, in the center of the dance floor. She became dizzy at the realization that Mr. Ashbourne was actually dancing with her.
After several turns, he lowered his head and whispered into her ear, his nose tickling her skin and sending a thrill up her spine, causing a delicious sensation in her midriff.
“Are you unwell?” he asked. “You look faint.”
She recovered herself and observed that he had a playful smile on his lips, fully aware of the power his presence had on young ladies. Not wanting to appear as inexperienced as she really was, she blurted out, “Oh no, you merely surprised me, that is all.”
“Then I shall take pleasure in surprising you whenever I can as it only serves to heighten your beauty!”
Francesca’s cheeks burned under his scrutiny and she bent her neck to avoid his piercing gaze and gather her confused thoughts.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
TOUR SCHEDULE:
Tour Landing Page
July 23-The Power of Words | Paulette’s Papers
July 24-Life is What It’s Called | Encouraging Words From the Tea Queen | Blooming with Books
July 25-Pause for Tales | Reading Is My SuperPower | Singing Librarian Books
July 26-Heidi Reads… | Bookworm Lisa | Why Not? Because I Said So!
July 27-Remembrancy | Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
July 28-Edits and Reviews by Leslie | Jorie Loves A Story
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC': -- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for a Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Monday, July 30th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Post: Title--TBA # # # # #
July 24, 2018
~ BLOG TOUR 'ONE DECEMBER' ~
~ BLOG TOUR STOP ~
-- 'ONE DECEMBER' --
AUTHOR KYLE HUNTER
~Post Includes: Book Spotlight,
Author Bio, Excerpt & Giveaway~
Welcome to the blog tour & giveaway for One December by Kyle Hunter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: One December
Author: Kyle Hunter
Publisher: Monceau Publishing
Release Date: February 10, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Nikki has loved Mike for as long as she can remember (as early as age seven!) Mike has his own past hurts to resolve, having lost both parents in an accident when he was fourteen. He’s tried to escape those painful memories by leaving New York and starting a new life on the West Coast. New facts indicate, years later, that his parents’ deaths might not have been an accident.
At Christmas Mike comes back to New York for the first time in three years. He and Nikki rekindle the friendship they had as children and share their newfound faith. Under a Christmas moon romantic sparks fly . . . but their mutual attraction takes an unexpected detour.
Nikki is devastated, believing her one chance for a relationship with Mike is over. She impulsively takes a one-year teaching opportunity in Paris, so that she can face her own fears and get over Mike.
If Mike and Nikki run away, how can they find each other again?
Purchase Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ONE:
After the last counter had been sponged off, Nikki was alone in the kitchen. She rummaged under the sink for dishwashing powder then stood to find Mike leaning against the counter.
“You disappeared,” he said. “Not tired of me already, are you?”
“Hardly.” She met his eyes, which were filled with amusement and warmth. “There were too many people all talking at once. And just wait till Christmas, when that number will triple.” She grinned to let him know she didn’t really mind.
He crossed his arms and smiled back at her, the same relaxed warmth she remembered, had imagined so many times. He was really here in the flesh. “I have an idea, to get you away from the noisy crowd,” he said. “Why don’t we meet for breakfast tomorrow so we can catch up? Jerry’s Deli for some lox and bagels, hot coffee, fried eggs? Tempted?”
“Hmm. Might be noisy there too. How about Pancake Palace?”
“Ten o’clock?”
“You’re on. Do you remember how to get there?”
“Pancake Palace? That was my second home in high school. All-nighters at the Palace, remember?”
“No, I guess I was out of your life by that time,” Nikki said quietly. Instantly she regretted her words, fearing he’d hear an accusation.
His expression was sober, his voice no more than a whisper. “My loss. We’ll catch up tomorrow at ten, okay?”
Mike stepped toward her for a hug goodbye. It was only a brotherly hug but Nikki felt carried away by a dream, buried in his arms for just a moment. With difficulty, she released him. “See you tomorrow.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I love to read and write stories about strong women who still have flaws, but are ready to pursue their dreams, even if it takes them out of their comfort zone . . . or their country.
I write inspirational romance novels and women's fiction with a twist: My characters sometimes go places. This led me to create the Love on the Move collection of novels. Readers can take a trip with them and experience their journeys. They can see how the characters' lives unfold as they make decisions to trust God (or not) in their next steps, learning about themselves and their faith, and finding love along the way!
I currently live in North Carolina but spent over a decade in France (where some of my books take place.) I also write non-fiction and teach French. In my free time, I enjoy doing pottery and salsa dancing.
CONNECT WITH KYLE: website | Facebook | Twitter
TOUR GIVEAWAYKyle Hunter is giving away:
1 ebook of One December$25 Amazon gift cardEnter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 16, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 23, 2018. Open internationally, except where prohibited by law. Winners must be able to accept ebook and gift card from US Amazon. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
ENTER RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Follow along at JustRead for the full schedule & more chances to win!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':-- Friday, July 27th: Spotlight, Snippet, and Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts for a new Cedar Fort release, 'The Secret of Haversham House'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for another Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Monday, July 30th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Post: Title--TBA
# # # # #
~Post Includes: Book Spotlight,
Author Bio, Excerpt & Giveaway~
Welcome to the blog tour & giveaway for One December by Kyle Hunter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: One December Author: Kyle Hunter
Publisher: Monceau Publishing
Release Date: February 10, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Nikki has loved Mike for as long as she can remember (as early as age seven!) Mike has his own past hurts to resolve, having lost both parents in an accident when he was fourteen. He’s tried to escape those painful memories by leaving New York and starting a new life on the West Coast. New facts indicate, years later, that his parents’ deaths might not have been an accident.
At Christmas Mike comes back to New York for the first time in three years. He and Nikki rekindle the friendship they had as children and share their newfound faith. Under a Christmas moon romantic sparks fly . . . but their mutual attraction takes an unexpected detour.
Nikki is devastated, believing her one chance for a relationship with Mike is over. She impulsively takes a one-year teaching opportunity in Paris, so that she can face her own fears and get over Mike.
If Mike and Nikki run away, how can they find each other again?
Purchase Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ONE:
After the last counter had been sponged off, Nikki was alone in the kitchen. She rummaged under the sink for dishwashing powder then stood to find Mike leaning against the counter.
“You disappeared,” he said. “Not tired of me already, are you?”
“Hardly.” She met his eyes, which were filled with amusement and warmth. “There were too many people all talking at once. And just wait till Christmas, when that number will triple.” She grinned to let him know she didn’t really mind.
He crossed his arms and smiled back at her, the same relaxed warmth she remembered, had imagined so many times. He was really here in the flesh. “I have an idea, to get you away from the noisy crowd,” he said. “Why don’t we meet for breakfast tomorrow so we can catch up? Jerry’s Deli for some lox and bagels, hot coffee, fried eggs? Tempted?”
“Hmm. Might be noisy there too. How about Pancake Palace?”
“Ten o’clock?”
“You’re on. Do you remember how to get there?”
“Pancake Palace? That was my second home in high school. All-nighters at the Palace, remember?”
“No, I guess I was out of your life by that time,” Nikki said quietly. Instantly she regretted her words, fearing he’d hear an accusation.
His expression was sober, his voice no more than a whisper. “My loss. We’ll catch up tomorrow at ten, okay?”
Mike stepped toward her for a hug goodbye. It was only a brotherly hug but Nikki felt carried away by a dream, buried in his arms for just a moment. With difficulty, she released him. “See you tomorrow.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I love to read and write stories about strong women who still have flaws, but are ready to pursue their dreams, even if it takes them out of their comfort zone . . . or their country.
I write inspirational romance novels and women's fiction with a twist: My characters sometimes go places. This led me to create the Love on the Move collection of novels. Readers can take a trip with them and experience their journeys. They can see how the characters' lives unfold as they make decisions to trust God (or not) in their next steps, learning about themselves and their faith, and finding love along the way!
I currently live in North Carolina but spent over a decade in France (where some of my books take place.) I also write non-fiction and teach French. In my free time, I enjoy doing pottery and salsa dancing.
CONNECT WITH KYLE: website | Facebook | Twitter
TOUR GIVEAWAYKyle Hunter is giving away:
1 ebook of One December$25 Amazon gift cardEnter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 16, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 23, 2018. Open internationally, except where prohibited by law. Winners must be able to accept ebook and gift card from US Amazon. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
ENTER RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Follow along at JustRead for the full schedule & more chances to win!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':-- Friday, July 27th: Spotlight, Snippet, and Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts for a new Cedar Fort release, 'The Secret of Haversham House'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for another Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Monday, July 30th: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Post: Title--TBA
# # # # #
July 22, 2018
~ MMGM 'FROM YOU TO ME' ~
~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADEMONDAY CONTEMPORARYFICTION FEATURE ~-- 'FROM YOU TO ME' --AUTHOR K. A. HOLT~Post Includes Book Spotlight & Review~
LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS
ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}: Amelia Peabody lives in a small town where nothing changes. And that's just fine by her. After losing her big sister, Clara, a few years ago, Amelia can't handle any more change. But when she starts eighth grade, she accidentally receives a letter that Clara had written to herself. In it, there's a list of things she'd wanted to do before the end of middle school and never finished, like get on the softball team and throw an awesome birthday party on the lake.
Amelia wonders if it's a sign from Clara. Maybe if she completed the list, her heart would stop hurting so much, and she could go back to being her old self. But as she makes her way through, Amelia finds that there's no going back, only forward. And she realizes she'll have to put her own spin on Clara's list to grow and change in the ways she needs to.
K. A. Holt's beautiful new novel is about grieving and growing up, and the ripples loss creates for a girl, a family, and a community.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from the Author's Website}:
Photo Found on GoodreadsKari Anne Holt is the author of several middle grade novels in verse including House Arrest (Chronicle), a Bank Street Best Book of the Year 2015, and Rhyme Schemer (Chronicle), an Amazon Best Book for Kids and Teens, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Her novel in haiku, Brains for Lunch, was highlighted on the Texas Library Association’s Annotated Lone Star Reading List for 2011. She is also the author of Gnome-a-geddon, Red Moon Rising, and Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel, a nominee for the 2014 Connecticut Library Association Nutmeg Book Award and the 2013 Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Kari lives in Austin, TX .
LINK TO AUTHOR'S WEBSITE
REVIEW:
This story deals with the loss of an older sibling through an accident, grief, guilt, loneliness, and profound sadness. It also deals with healing through the love, patience, and support of family and friends.
The book reminds me of the themes portrayed in the 1981 Academy-award winning film, 'Ordinary People' starring Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, and Timothy Hutton. It also shares many of its themes with a Christian fiction novel by the fine author, Karen Kingsbury, 'Waiting for Morning: Forever Faithful #1'. I sincerely enjoyed all three of these works.
Mrs. Henderson, the homeroom teacher, sets out the letters written on the first day of sixth grade on each student's new desk on their first day of eighth grade. Somehow Mrs. Henderson places the letter written by Amelia Peabody's deceased sister, Clara, on Amelia's desk.
Amelia is surprised when she finds Clara's letter instead of her own, but she decides maybe Clara is trying to communicate with her after three years. Clara has written a list of five goals she wanted to accomplish in eighth grade, one of which is to be nicer to Amelia and their mother.
Amelia and her best friend, Taylor Grant, decide Amelia must complete her sister's goals by the end of the school year. Taylor takes over control of Amelia's activities and really pushes for Amelia to work on reaching Clara's goals.
Much of the story is devoted to Amelia's feelings of guilt, unworthiness, loneliness, and sadness. The rest tells us how Amelia works to accomplish the goals. The pacing is excellent throughout the story and is perfect for middle-grade readers.
The supporting characters of Taylor Grant, Twitch {aka Billy}, four of Clara's friends, Mrs. Grant {Taylor's grandmother}, and Amelia's parents are well-developed and varied. The local lake becomes a significant character as the story builds.
These strong characters and the support system they provide to Amelia make all the difference for the main character's progression through grief.
Without spoiling the ending for you, I do want to share with you that the ending of this book is fabulous! When I was about halfway through the story I wondered how the author was going to complete the plot for readers. She didn't let readers down. K.A. Holt has written an awesome ending certain to satisfy young and old readers alike!
Highly recommended as a read-aloud for school classes and families. This book is likely to become a favorite of fans of young people overcoming challenges, strong friendships, realistic family life, and characters with courage.
PS--The significance of the cover art will become apparent at the end of the story.
---------------------------------------
I borrowed this novel from the 'new book' shelf in the local public library.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':-- Wednesday, July 25th: Spotlight and Excerpt for 'One December'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, July 27th: Spotlight, Snippet, and Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts for a new Cedar Fort release, 'The Secret of Haversham House'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for another Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
# # # # #
LEARN MORE ON GOODREADS
ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}: Amelia Peabody lives in a small town where nothing changes. And that's just fine by her. After losing her big sister, Clara, a few years ago, Amelia can't handle any more change. But when she starts eighth grade, she accidentally receives a letter that Clara had written to herself. In it, there's a list of things she'd wanted to do before the end of middle school and never finished, like get on the softball team and throw an awesome birthday party on the lake.
Amelia wonders if it's a sign from Clara. Maybe if she completed the list, her heart would stop hurting so much, and she could go back to being her old self. But as she makes her way through, Amelia finds that there's no going back, only forward. And she realizes she'll have to put her own spin on Clara's list to grow and change in the ways she needs to.
K. A. Holt's beautiful new novel is about grieving and growing up, and the ripples loss creates for a girl, a family, and a community.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from the Author's Website}:
Photo Found on GoodreadsKari Anne Holt is the author of several middle grade novels in verse including House Arrest (Chronicle), a Bank Street Best Book of the Year 2015, and Rhyme Schemer (Chronicle), an Amazon Best Book for Kids and Teens, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Her novel in haiku, Brains for Lunch, was highlighted on the Texas Library Association’s Annotated Lone Star Reading List for 2011. She is also the author of Gnome-a-geddon, Red Moon Rising, and Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel, a nominee for the 2014 Connecticut Library Association Nutmeg Book Award and the 2013 Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Kari lives in Austin, TX .
LINK TO AUTHOR'S WEBSITE
REVIEW:
This story deals with the loss of an older sibling through an accident, grief, guilt, loneliness, and profound sadness. It also deals with healing through the love, patience, and support of family and friends.
The book reminds me of the themes portrayed in the 1981 Academy-award winning film, 'Ordinary People' starring Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, and Timothy Hutton. It also shares many of its themes with a Christian fiction novel by the fine author, Karen Kingsbury, 'Waiting for Morning: Forever Faithful #1'. I sincerely enjoyed all three of these works.
Mrs. Henderson, the homeroom teacher, sets out the letters written on the first day of sixth grade on each student's new desk on their first day of eighth grade. Somehow Mrs. Henderson places the letter written by Amelia Peabody's deceased sister, Clara, on Amelia's desk.
Amelia is surprised when she finds Clara's letter instead of her own, but she decides maybe Clara is trying to communicate with her after three years. Clara has written a list of five goals she wanted to accomplish in eighth grade, one of which is to be nicer to Amelia and their mother.
Amelia and her best friend, Taylor Grant, decide Amelia must complete her sister's goals by the end of the school year. Taylor takes over control of Amelia's activities and really pushes for Amelia to work on reaching Clara's goals.
Much of the story is devoted to Amelia's feelings of guilt, unworthiness, loneliness, and sadness. The rest tells us how Amelia works to accomplish the goals. The pacing is excellent throughout the story and is perfect for middle-grade readers.
The supporting characters of Taylor Grant, Twitch {aka Billy}, four of Clara's friends, Mrs. Grant {Taylor's grandmother}, and Amelia's parents are well-developed and varied. The local lake becomes a significant character as the story builds.
These strong characters and the support system they provide to Amelia make all the difference for the main character's progression through grief.
Without spoiling the ending for you, I do want to share with you that the ending of this book is fabulous! When I was about halfway through the story I wondered how the author was going to complete the plot for readers. She didn't let readers down. K.A. Holt has written an awesome ending certain to satisfy young and old readers alike!
Highly recommended as a read-aloud for school classes and families. This book is likely to become a favorite of fans of young people overcoming challenges, strong friendships, realistic family life, and characters with courage.
PS--The significance of the cover art will become apparent at the end of the story.
---------------------------------------
I borrowed this novel from the 'new book' shelf in the local public library.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':-- Wednesday, July 25th: Spotlight and Excerpt for 'One December'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, July 27th: Spotlight, Snippet, and Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts for a new Cedar Fort release, 'The Secret of Haversham House'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for another Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
# # # # #
July 20, 2018
~ BOOK BLITZ 'DARKWATER SECRETS' ~
~ BOOK BLITZ ~
-- 'DARKWATER SECRETS' --
AUTHOR ROBIN CAROLL~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author Bio,Excerpt & Giveaway~ 
Welcome to the Darkwater Secrets by Robin Caroll blitz and giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Darkwater Secrets
Author: Robin Caroll
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release Date: July 17, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
A murder investigation uncovers sordid secrets and haunting mistakes
The Darkwater Inn stands tall and proud in the French Quarter, the hub of New Orleans. Bourbon Street is bustling, and General Manager Adelaide Fountaine has her hands full with a hotel at capacity. She, along with everyone else, is shocked when a body is found: a hotel guest stabbed with a kitchen knife.
Detective Beau Savoie, Adelaide’s childhood friend, is on the case. As Beau digs into the victim’s past, he unearths a shocking connection between Adelaide and the murdered guest. Beau is hurt that his friend—the woman he’s quietly loved for years—kept the truth from him. To make matters worse, the stress of the investigation has sent Adelaide right into the comforting arms of her coworker Dimitri. But Beau can’t press Adelaide too hard . . . he’s keeping secrets of his own.
Can Adelaide and Beau afford to hide from the truth with a killer on the loose?
PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository
EXCERPT:
He flipped off the lamp. Only a sliver of light from the moon slipped in from behind the closed curtains. From the corner of his eye, a shadow moved.
What?
Freezing, he stared into the dimness of the doorway, his heart hammering. He held his breath as his eyes adjusted to the desk and armoire partially outlined by the splinters of light teasing in from the windows of the courtyard below.
Nothing.
He let out a slow breath and chuckled. Now he was seeing things? Man, he needed to get some sleep.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“I love boxing. I love Hallmark movies. I love fishing. I love scrapbooking. Nope, I've never fit into the boxes people have wanted to put me in.” ~Robin Caroll is definitely a contradiction, but one that beckons you to get to know her better.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others.
When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty-five-plus years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else?
She serves the writing community as Executive Director/Conference Director for ACFW. Her twenty-five books have finaled/placed in such contests as the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, RT Reviewer's Choice Award, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year.
CONNECT WITH ROBIN: website| Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY
Robin Caroll is giving away:
print copy of Darkwater Secrets
your own key to the Darkwater Inn
The Darkwater Inn Recipe Book
an Uptown Stroll candle
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 21, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 28, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow along with the tour at JustRead for the full schedule!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':-- Monday, July 23rd: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday feature on a new contemporary fiction release by K.A. Holt, 'From You to Me'. Post includes book spotlight and a review.
-- Wednesday, July 25th: Spotlight and Excerpt for 'One December'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, July 27th: Spotlight, Snippet, and Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts for a new Cedar Fort release, 'The Secret of Haversham House'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for another Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
# # # # #
Welcome to the Darkwater Secrets by Robin Caroll blitz and giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Darkwater Secrets Author: Robin Caroll
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Release Date: July 17, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
A murder investigation uncovers sordid secrets and haunting mistakes
The Darkwater Inn stands tall and proud in the French Quarter, the hub of New Orleans. Bourbon Street is bustling, and General Manager Adelaide Fountaine has her hands full with a hotel at capacity. She, along with everyone else, is shocked when a body is found: a hotel guest stabbed with a kitchen knife.
Detective Beau Savoie, Adelaide’s childhood friend, is on the case. As Beau digs into the victim’s past, he unearths a shocking connection between Adelaide and the murdered guest. Beau is hurt that his friend—the woman he’s quietly loved for years—kept the truth from him. To make matters worse, the stress of the investigation has sent Adelaide right into the comforting arms of her coworker Dimitri. But Beau can’t press Adelaide too hard . . . he’s keeping secrets of his own.
Can Adelaide and Beau afford to hide from the truth with a killer on the loose?
PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository
EXCERPT:
He flipped off the lamp. Only a sliver of light from the moon slipped in from behind the closed curtains. From the corner of his eye, a shadow moved.
What?
Freezing, he stared into the dimness of the doorway, his heart hammering. He held his breath as his eyes adjusted to the desk and armoire partially outlined by the splinters of light teasing in from the windows of the courtyard below.
Nothing.
He let out a slow breath and chuckled. Now he was seeing things? Man, he needed to get some sleep.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“I love boxing. I love Hallmark movies. I love fishing. I love scrapbooking. Nope, I've never fit into the boxes people have wanted to put me in.” ~Robin Caroll is definitely a contradiction, but one that beckons you to get to know her better. Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others.
When she isn’t writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty-five-plus years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home—in the South, where else?
She serves the writing community as Executive Director/Conference Director for ACFW. Her twenty-five books have finaled/placed in such contests as the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, RT Reviewer's Choice Award, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year.
CONNECT WITH ROBIN: website| Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY
Robin Caroll is giving away:
print copy of Darkwater Secrets
your own key to the Darkwater Inn
The Darkwater Inn Recipe Book
an Uptown Stroll candle
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 21, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 28, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow along with the tour at JustRead for the full schedule!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':-- Monday, July 23rd: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday feature on a new contemporary fiction release by K.A. Holt, 'From You to Me'. Post includes book spotlight and a review.
-- Wednesday, July 25th: Spotlight and Excerpt for 'One December'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, July 27th: Spotlight, Snippet, and Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts for a new Cedar Fort release, 'The Secret of Haversham House'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 28th: Book Blast for another Cedar Fort release, 'Love at Lakewood Med'. Post includes a giveaway. Event organized by Singing Librarian Books.
# # # # #
July 19, 2018
~ BLOG TOUR 'SOPHIE WASHINGTON' ~
~ FRIDAY FICTION FEATURE ~
-- 'SOPHIE WASHINGTON: MISSION
COSTA RICA' --
AUTHOR TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS
- Children's Fiction - Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author Bio,Excerpt, Ten Behind-the-Scenes FactsShared by the Author & Giveaway
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Series: Sophie Washington
Genre: Children’s, Fiction
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: June 2018
Sixth grader Sophie Washington, her family and friends are in for an adventure-filled week of boa constrictors, monkeys and mayhem after they sign up to take part in a church mission trip to Costa Rica.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s books series, geared toward readers ages 8 to 12, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She has received awards for literary excellence and worked as a journalist and freelance magazine writer.
The Sophie Washington book series recounts the adventures of a precocious African American preteen from Houston, TX and her diverse group of friends. Each funny and heartwarming story teaches lessons about friendship, responsibility, truthfulness and perseverance. Books in the series include Queen of the Bee, The Snitch, Things You Didn’t Know About Sophie, The Gamer, Hurricane, and Mission Costa Rica.
Tonya lives in Houston, TX. When she’s not writing, the author enjoys reading, biking, swimming, travel and spending time with her husband and three children.
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
SNIPPET:
Chapter 1 -- Welcome to the Jungle
The sky is sunglasses-required bright. It is hotter than a coal-fired pizza oven. Sweat drips into my eyebrows, and my t-shirt sticks to my back like gum to the underside of a desk. Ignoring the baking temperature, Carlos, our guide, is the one of the cheeriest people I’ve ever met. It’s like a smile is tattooed on his mouth as we bump along the narrow, winding road at about ten miles per hour.
“Ev-er-y-body, stop!”
Carlos abruptly puts on the brakes and yells, still grinning, to get our attention. My dad jerks our golf cart to a halt right behind him.
It’s Day One of our trip to Costa Rica, and Dad, Mom, my little brother Cole and my friends Chloe, Valentina, and I are taking a tour of the golf course near our hotel.
Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!
The exotic sounds of howler monkeys and sights of red, yellow and blue parrots, lime green iguanas, and tropical plants mingle with the common golfing fairways and tees.
“Whoa! Check that out over there!” Cole points out a thick, gray and forest green-colored hose sliding on the turf.
“What do we have here?” asks Carlos.
“Get back, kids!” Mom exclaims. “It’s a snake!”
A five-foot-long serpent glides near Carlos’ feet, and instead of moving away our crazy guide eases toward the creature.
I freeze. Everyone else steps back.
“Not to worry, the snake is not poisonous,” Carlos reassures us. “It’s a boa constrictor.” Then he reaches down to pick it up and wraps the snake around his neck as we all stare with our mouths agape.
Smack!
Mosquitoes buzz toward my open lips and I whack at my mouth to stop them. I can’t keep my eyes off the serpent. And it looks like he’s checking me out too.
“Would you like to pet it, young lady?” Carlos inquires. “We see this snake on the path nearly every day; he won’t hurt you.”
“A boa constrictor’s bite won’t hurt you, but it can squeeze you to death,” warns my father, holding his arms out to keep me from getting too close.
“I bet Sophie is part Slytherin, just like Harry Potter,” says Cole, comparing me to the snake-loving members of the club from the Harry Potter book series while he observes the snake and me watch each other.
“Be quiet, Cole, and all you children stay back,” scolds my mother.
I blink and the spell the snake cast on me is broken. I am able to move again.
“I can’t believe we’re this close to a boa constrictor,” Valentina says as she snaps a picture of the snake-clad Carlos with her cell phone. “No one will believe this is real.”
“Yeah, looking at that creepy thing makes my skin crawl.” Chloe smooths a black curl off her forehead and peers to get a better look. “Take one of me standing with the snake in the background, Valentina,” she asks, striking a pose.I roll my eyes. Leave it to my two friends to be snapping selfies when we might be in danger. Though we are all on the cheerleading squad, Chloe Thompson and Valentina Martinez would probably be considered the most “high maintenance” in our group. Both love to shop and spend lots of time talking about hair and makeup. They are both very pretty too. Chloe is tall and thin with dark curls and caramel skin, and Valentina, who was born in Mexico, has long black hair and can do back flips across the school gym.
Chloe and I have been best friends since we were small. We’ve been in most classes together atXavier Academy, the private school we attend, until last year when she was placed in some special classes because she has dyslexia. The learning disorder makes her see letters backward so Chloe needs more time to do her reading assignments than other people. Some kids used to make fun of her about it until they found out that Chloe has a temper, and since she’s one of the tallest girls in our grade you don’t want to mess with her.
I used to think Valentina was just a bubblehead until she and her family had to leave their home during a hurricane earlier this year. They camped out with us in my father’s dental office for a few days because parts of our neighborhood were flooding and we couldn’t stay in our house either. During our time in the office, Valentina and I became friends and she convinced me to try out for the cheerleading team.
“Can I see the pictures?” Cole bumps me out of the way and shoves in closer. “I left my camera at the hotel.”
“Ouch!” I stumble back off the path and into a huge pile of fire ants.
At least fifty angry bugs crawl up my leg and start biting.
“Aaaaah!” I shriek.
Mom rushes over and swats the ants off with her sun hat.
“Everybody back on the golf carts!” she commands.
“Is your daughter okay?” A lady from one of the two other carts touring with us walks over to offer help.
“Yes, thankfully, she’s not allergic to fire ant venom,” Mom answers. “It looks like she’ll have to suffer through pain from a bite or two the next couple of days.”
“A bite or two? There must be at least twenty bumps on my leg!” I exclaim. “And it’s all your fault, Cole!”
10 BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK:
Tonya Duncan Ellis took a family vacation to Costa Rica in 2012.
On her first day in the country the author stepped in a fire ant pile and had an allergic reaction.
Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica was originally planned to be the third book in the Sophie Washington series, but the author kept getting inspired to write about other topics and it became book number six.
The many animals mentioned in Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica are no exaggeration. The country hosts more than five percent of the world’s biodiversity, though its landmass takes up only .03 percent of the planet.
Most of Sophie Washington: Mission Costa: Rica was written from 5AM to 8AM during a three-month time span.
Tonya Duncan Ellis still fondly remembers the delicious meat, rice, bean, and salad dishes she ate while in Costa Rica.
Howler monkeys are the loudest animals in the world, and their calls can be heard as far as three miles away.
The author keeps a bowl made in the Costa Rican pottery village Guaitil on her family room coffee table.
The 'Agnese' character was originally planned to be a Costa Rican boy who would play soccer with Sophie’s little brother Cole, but then the author changed her mind.
When first conceived, the book was planned to be about a school trip with Sophie’s class that would be called Sophie Washington: Costa Rican Caper.
{Photos courtesy of the author}
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
TOUR SCHEDULE:
Tour Landing Page
July 9-cherylbbookblog
July 11-Paulette’s Papers
July 14-A Baker’s Perspective
July 17-Singing Librarian Books
July 19-Locks, Hooks and Books
July 20-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Saturday, July 21st: Book Blitz for Award-Winning Author Robin Caroll's newest suspense release, 'Backwater Secrets'. Post includes book spotlight, excerpt, and a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, July 23rd: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday feature on a new contemporary fiction release by K.A. Holt, 'From You to Me'. Post includes book spotlight and a review.
# # # # #
- Children's Fiction - Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author Bio,Excerpt, Ten Behind-the-Scenes FactsShared by the Author & Giveaway
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Series: Sophie Washington
Genre: Children’s, Fiction
Publisher: Indie
Publication date: June 2018
Sixth grader Sophie Washington, her family and friends are in for an adventure-filled week of boa constrictors, monkeys and mayhem after they sign up to take part in a church mission trip to Costa Rica.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star” rated Sophie Washington children’s books series, geared toward readers ages 8 to 12, and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She has received awards for literary excellence and worked as a journalist and freelance magazine writer.
The Sophie Washington book series recounts the adventures of a precocious African American preteen from Houston, TX and her diverse group of friends. Each funny and heartwarming story teaches lessons about friendship, responsibility, truthfulness and perseverance. Books in the series include Queen of the Bee, The Snitch, Things You Didn’t Know About Sophie, The Gamer, Hurricane, and Mission Costa Rica.
Tonya lives in Houston, TX. When she’s not writing, the author enjoys reading, biking, swimming, travel and spending time with her husband and three children.
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE
SNIPPET:
Chapter 1 -- Welcome to the Jungle
The sky is sunglasses-required bright. It is hotter than a coal-fired pizza oven. Sweat drips into my eyebrows, and my t-shirt sticks to my back like gum to the underside of a desk. Ignoring the baking temperature, Carlos, our guide, is the one of the cheeriest people I’ve ever met. It’s like a smile is tattooed on his mouth as we bump along the narrow, winding road at about ten miles per hour.
“Ev-er-y-body, stop!”
Carlos abruptly puts on the brakes and yells, still grinning, to get our attention. My dad jerks our golf cart to a halt right behind him.
It’s Day One of our trip to Costa Rica, and Dad, Mom, my little brother Cole and my friends Chloe, Valentina, and I are taking a tour of the golf course near our hotel.
Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!
The exotic sounds of howler monkeys and sights of red, yellow and blue parrots, lime green iguanas, and tropical plants mingle with the common golfing fairways and tees.
“Whoa! Check that out over there!” Cole points out a thick, gray and forest green-colored hose sliding on the turf.
“What do we have here?” asks Carlos.
“Get back, kids!” Mom exclaims. “It’s a snake!”
A five-foot-long serpent glides near Carlos’ feet, and instead of moving away our crazy guide eases toward the creature.
I freeze. Everyone else steps back.
“Not to worry, the snake is not poisonous,” Carlos reassures us. “It’s a boa constrictor.” Then he reaches down to pick it up and wraps the snake around his neck as we all stare with our mouths agape.
Smack!
Mosquitoes buzz toward my open lips and I whack at my mouth to stop them. I can’t keep my eyes off the serpent. And it looks like he’s checking me out too.
“Would you like to pet it, young lady?” Carlos inquires. “We see this snake on the path nearly every day; he won’t hurt you.”
“A boa constrictor’s bite won’t hurt you, but it can squeeze you to death,” warns my father, holding his arms out to keep me from getting too close.
“I bet Sophie is part Slytherin, just like Harry Potter,” says Cole, comparing me to the snake-loving members of the club from the Harry Potter book series while he observes the snake and me watch each other.
“Be quiet, Cole, and all you children stay back,” scolds my mother.
I blink and the spell the snake cast on me is broken. I am able to move again.
“I can’t believe we’re this close to a boa constrictor,” Valentina says as she snaps a picture of the snake-clad Carlos with her cell phone. “No one will believe this is real.”
“Yeah, looking at that creepy thing makes my skin crawl.” Chloe smooths a black curl off her forehead and peers to get a better look. “Take one of me standing with the snake in the background, Valentina,” she asks, striking a pose.I roll my eyes. Leave it to my two friends to be snapping selfies when we might be in danger. Though we are all on the cheerleading squad, Chloe Thompson and Valentina Martinez would probably be considered the most “high maintenance” in our group. Both love to shop and spend lots of time talking about hair and makeup. They are both very pretty too. Chloe is tall and thin with dark curls and caramel skin, and Valentina, who was born in Mexico, has long black hair and can do back flips across the school gym.
Chloe and I have been best friends since we were small. We’ve been in most classes together atXavier Academy, the private school we attend, until last year when she was placed in some special classes because she has dyslexia. The learning disorder makes her see letters backward so Chloe needs more time to do her reading assignments than other people. Some kids used to make fun of her about it until they found out that Chloe has a temper, and since she’s one of the tallest girls in our grade you don’t want to mess with her.
I used to think Valentina was just a bubblehead until she and her family had to leave their home during a hurricane earlier this year. They camped out with us in my father’s dental office for a few days because parts of our neighborhood were flooding and we couldn’t stay in our house either. During our time in the office, Valentina and I became friends and she convinced me to try out for the cheerleading team.
“Can I see the pictures?” Cole bumps me out of the way and shoves in closer. “I left my camera at the hotel.”
“Ouch!” I stumble back off the path and into a huge pile of fire ants.
At least fifty angry bugs crawl up my leg and start biting.
“Aaaaah!” I shriek.
Mom rushes over and swats the ants off with her sun hat.
“Everybody back on the golf carts!” she commands.
“Is your daughter okay?” A lady from one of the two other carts touring with us walks over to offer help.
“Yes, thankfully, she’s not allergic to fire ant venom,” Mom answers. “It looks like she’ll have to suffer through pain from a bite or two the next couple of days.”
“A bite or two? There must be at least twenty bumps on my leg!” I exclaim. “And it’s all your fault, Cole!”
10 BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK:
Tonya Duncan Ellis took a family vacation to Costa Rica in 2012.
On her first day in the country the author stepped in a fire ant pile and had an allergic reaction.
Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica was originally planned to be the third book in the Sophie Washington series, but the author kept getting inspired to write about other topics and it became book number six.
The many animals mentioned in Sophie Washington: Mission: Costa Rica are no exaggeration. The country hosts more than five percent of the world’s biodiversity, though its landmass takes up only .03 percent of the planet.
Most of Sophie Washington: Mission Costa: Rica was written from 5AM to 8AM during a three-month time span.
Tonya Duncan Ellis still fondly remembers the delicious meat, rice, bean, and salad dishes she ate while in Costa Rica.
Howler monkeys are the loudest animals in the world, and their calls can be heard as far as three miles away.
The author keeps a bowl made in the Costa Rican pottery village Guaitil on her family room coffee table.
The 'Agnese' character was originally planned to be a Costa Rican boy who would play soccer with Sophie’s little brother Cole, but then the author changed her mind.
When first conceived, the book was planned to be about a school trip with Sophie’s class that would be called Sophie Washington: Costa Rican Caper.
{Photos courtesy of the author}
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
TOUR SCHEDULE:
Tour Landing Page
July 9-cherylbbookblog
July 11-Paulette’s Papers
July 14-A Baker’s Perspective
July 17-Singing Librarian Books
July 19-Locks, Hooks and Books
July 20-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Saturday, July 21st: Book Blitz for Award-Winning Author Robin Caroll's newest suspense release, 'Backwater Secrets'. Post includes book spotlight, excerpt, and a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, July 23rd: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday feature on a new contemporary fiction release by K.A. Holt, 'From You to Me'. Post includes book spotlight and a review.
# # # # #
July 18, 2018
~ BLOG TOUR STOP LOVING GRACE ~
~ BLOG TOUR STOP ~
-- 'LOVING GRACE' --
AUTHOR APRIL SMITH~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, AuthorBio, Special Feature--Eight Behind-the-ScenesFacts Shared by the Author& Giveaway~
Welcome to the Loving Grace by April Smith blog & review tour plus giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Loving Grace
Author: April Smith
Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: March 20, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction, Young Adult Romance
Grace Summer lands herself in a melon load of trouble when she becomes torn between the boy of her dreams and the boy almost next door.
As the newly crowned Watermelon Queen, she is thrust into the spotlight, meets the dreamy Warren Hartley, and continues trying to get over an accident that rocked her world. Mix in working with Beau Baron who Grace happens to fight with just about as much as breathing and the metaphorical sparks fly.
Like most things in life, Grace must learn to take the good with the bad. While the good is the handsome and fun Warren Hartley, the bad is Beau Baron—or at least being around his annoying and rude self way more than she would like. For Beau, Grace is nothing more than aggravating and an irritating reminder from the night of the accident.
Tensions soar as Grace and Beau fight to love themselves and maybe, just maybe, each other.
PURCHASE A COPY: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | CBD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
April Smith grew up spending summers working on her best friend’s family watermelon farm and she was one of those watermelon queens she writes about. She has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching.
CONNECT WITH APRIL: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
******************** --SPECIAL FEATURE--
EIGHT BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS SHARED BY APRIL:
1. How I Chose Characters Names: Grace was a very easy character to name as I’ve always liked the name Grace, and I love what the name means. Grace (the character) has the ability to be polished, elegant and refined when necessary which pretty much is the definition of graceful. For Beau, it was a subtle hint of what was to come. His name means handsome, and it’s what my grandma used to call my grandpa before they got married.
2. The Watermelon Drop: In the book it’s done during a watermelon festival, but in all actuality it’s a real thing. Only, it’s done to ring in the New Year in a small town in Indiana. I thought that was an interesting and definitely different thing to do with a watermelon and a fun tradition, so I created my own watermelon drop for the festival.
3. Watermelon Salsa: One of my all-time favorite summer treats is watermelon salsa.
Seriously, I could eat the entire batch in one setting. The recipe I use comes from my time as a watermelon queen. It was one of the first things I was taught how to make when learning about all the yummy recipes there are for watermelon, so I had to include it in the story!
4. How I Picked the Setting: The setting comes from my time working on my best friend’s family watermelon farm. I did all kinds of jobs there like turning vines (which is basically going down every row in an entire field with a crew and using sticks to put the vines back in a row, so the tractor could get through and the vines could continue to grow) to picking the melons and loading them in the bins. While it was hard work, it holds a lot of fun summer memories, so I wanted Grace’s story to take place in the world of watermelons.
5. The New Orleans Promotion: When I was the watermelon queen, I actually attended a rather large promotion in New Orleans which was the starting point for Grace’s trip. I enjoyed my time there and wanted Grace to have some fun in New Orleans too.
6. Writing Timeframe: Start to finish it took about four months to write the first draft, but that doesn’t include the editing process. :)
7. How I Chose the Title: I loved the play on words with the title. Grace is learning to love herself throughout the book, hence, she’s loving Grace. And then, it can also be looked at it from the viewpoint of having God’s loving grace which Grace experiences in the book as well. And, many other characters are loving Grace throughout the book too.
8. Watermelon in the Field: Grace and Beau share a watermelon in the fields, and she references the heart of the watermelon. It’s true that the sweetest part of the watermelon generally comes from the center of the melon. One of my favorite things to do after a day’s work in the field was crack open a melon and eat it in the wagon while waiting to be picked up for the day.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
Ambassador International is giving away:
(1) JustRead Summer Fun Book Box, which features Loving Grace as well as at least 4 quality items which complement the story. Find out more here.
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 16, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 23, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the tour landing page at JustRead for the full schedule!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Friday, July 20th: Friday Fiction Feature is a Blog Tour Stop for a middle-grade novel, 'Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica'. Post includes a book spotlight, author bio, excerpt, ten behind-the-scenes facts shared by the author, and a giveaway. Tour organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 21st: Book Blitz for Award-Winning Author Robin Caroll's newest suspense release, 'Backwater Secrets'. Post includes book spotlight, excerpt, and a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, July 23rd: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday feature on a new contemporary fiction release by K.A. Holt, 'From You to Me'. Post includes book spotlight and a review.
# # # # #
Welcome to the Loving Grace by April Smith blog & review tour plus giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Loving Grace Author: April Smith
Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: March 20, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction, Young Adult Romance
Grace Summer lands herself in a melon load of trouble when she becomes torn between the boy of her dreams and the boy almost next door.
As the newly crowned Watermelon Queen, she is thrust into the spotlight, meets the dreamy Warren Hartley, and continues trying to get over an accident that rocked her world. Mix in working with Beau Baron who Grace happens to fight with just about as much as breathing and the metaphorical sparks fly.
Like most things in life, Grace must learn to take the good with the bad. While the good is the handsome and fun Warren Hartley, the bad is Beau Baron—or at least being around his annoying and rude self way more than she would like. For Beau, Grace is nothing more than aggravating and an irritating reminder from the night of the accident.
Tensions soar as Grace and Beau fight to love themselves and maybe, just maybe, each other.
PURCHASE A COPY: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | CBD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
April Smith grew up spending summers working on her best friend’s family watermelon farm and she was one of those watermelon queens she writes about. She has her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching.
CONNECT WITH APRIL: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
******************** --SPECIAL FEATURE--
EIGHT BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS SHARED BY APRIL:
1. How I Chose Characters Names: Grace was a very easy character to name as I’ve always liked the name Grace, and I love what the name means. Grace (the character) has the ability to be polished, elegant and refined when necessary which pretty much is the definition of graceful. For Beau, it was a subtle hint of what was to come. His name means handsome, and it’s what my grandma used to call my grandpa before they got married.
2. The Watermelon Drop: In the book it’s done during a watermelon festival, but in all actuality it’s a real thing. Only, it’s done to ring in the New Year in a small town in Indiana. I thought that was an interesting and definitely different thing to do with a watermelon and a fun tradition, so I created my own watermelon drop for the festival.
3. Watermelon Salsa: One of my all-time favorite summer treats is watermelon salsa.
Seriously, I could eat the entire batch in one setting. The recipe I use comes from my time as a watermelon queen. It was one of the first things I was taught how to make when learning about all the yummy recipes there are for watermelon, so I had to include it in the story!
4. How I Picked the Setting: The setting comes from my time working on my best friend’s family watermelon farm. I did all kinds of jobs there like turning vines (which is basically going down every row in an entire field with a crew and using sticks to put the vines back in a row, so the tractor could get through and the vines could continue to grow) to picking the melons and loading them in the bins. While it was hard work, it holds a lot of fun summer memories, so I wanted Grace’s story to take place in the world of watermelons.
5. The New Orleans Promotion: When I was the watermelon queen, I actually attended a rather large promotion in New Orleans which was the starting point for Grace’s trip. I enjoyed my time there and wanted Grace to have some fun in New Orleans too.
6. Writing Timeframe: Start to finish it took about four months to write the first draft, but that doesn’t include the editing process. :)
7. How I Chose the Title: I loved the play on words with the title. Grace is learning to love herself throughout the book, hence, she’s loving Grace. And then, it can also be looked at it from the viewpoint of having God’s loving grace which Grace experiences in the book as well. And, many other characters are loving Grace throughout the book too.
8. Watermelon in the Field: Grace and Beau share a watermelon in the fields, and she references the heart of the watermelon. It’s true that the sweetest part of the watermelon generally comes from the center of the melon. One of my favorite things to do after a day’s work in the field was crack open a melon and eat it in the wagon while waiting to be picked up for the day.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
Ambassador International is giving away:
(1) JustRead Summer Fun Book Box, which features Loving Grace as well as at least 4 quality items which complement the story. Find out more here.
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight July 16, 2018 and last through 11:59pm July 23, 2018. US only. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the tour landing page at JustRead for the full schedule!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Friday, July 20th: Friday Fiction Feature is a Blog Tour Stop for a middle-grade novel, 'Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica'. Post includes a book spotlight, author bio, excerpt, ten behind-the-scenes facts shared by the author, and a giveaway. Tour organized by Singing Librarian Books.
-- Saturday, July 21st: Book Blitz for Award-Winning Author Robin Caroll's newest suspense release, 'Backwater Secrets'. Post includes book spotlight, excerpt, and a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Monday, July 23rd: Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday feature on a new contemporary fiction release by K.A. Holt, 'From You to Me'. Post includes book spotlight and a review.
# # # # #
July 17, 2018
~ BLOG TOUR STOP 'THE LAST SUMMER' ~
~ BLOG TOUR STOP ~
'THE LAST SUMMER'
AUTHOR BRANDY BRUCE~Post Includes: Book Spotlight, Author Bio,Snippet, Ten Behind-the-Scenes Facts, and a Giveaway~
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Genre: Contemporary Inspirational Romance
Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
Publication date: June 2017
A group of seven friends navigate relationships and personal growth during a season of change.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
SNIPPET:They all exchanged looks around the table. I felt like they were having this private conversation and hoped the conclusion would be that they wanted me. Because there was something special about the people at this table. The way they kidded and joked and touched each other and moved like one breathing organism. The way they did seem like a family. Six people connected to each other. I wanted to be the seventh.
“I have a feeling, Sara Witherspoon,” Addison said, tilting her head to the side and studying me as though she could see all the way to my heart, “you belong too.”
I don’t know how she knew, but she did. Like I said, Addison is the leader. She’s the glue. Once she said those words, all tension melted away, and I was included. If Addison said I belonged, I did. She reminded me of Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind. If Mrs. Wilkes was the cool-headed voice of reason that could settle the chaos around her, Addison was that same strong, trusted constant amid these six friends. Her word was law. And from that day forward, the six people around that table at Isabella’s became like six extensions of myself.
We were a circle. Within a month, Jason asked me to go out to dinner with him. Luke hadn’t shown any romantic interest in me, and there was Jason, with that thick, dark hair and playful personality and handful of tattoos on his olive skin—how could I say no? We started dating. A year after that, we broke up.
As much as I truly liked Jason and couldn’t help feeling attracted to him, I hadn’t fallen in love. I couldn’t picture us married and having babies. We were better as friends. I know Jason didn’t agree, but he and I both refused to let our break up damage the circle. Eventually, things between us returned to normal.
During my dating-Jason phase, Sam and Lily got married, which didn’t really change anything since they were already such a unit. I realized early on that Luke and Debra were never an item. I’d mistaken Debra’s warm and friendly demeanor and Luke’s tendency to be protective and kind as the traits of a dating couple, but those endearing qualities of both of them extended to all of us. My crush on Luke diminished as Jason and I dated and then shifted to ‘just friends.’
Sort of.
And somewhere along the way, painfully, Luke and I became best friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert. She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Colorado.
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM| BLOG
10 BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ABOUT THE LAST SUMMER’S TEXAS SETTING:
The museum’s Pink-Floyd-laser-light-show date that Sara goes on was inspired by one of my first dates with my husband! He planned the whole date and we went to the Spaghetti Warehouse (which was also a place my parents went to when they were dating) and then the laser light show at the very same museum. Best. Date. Ever.
Bodegas, the restaurant near the museum where Sara and her friend Wendy like to eat, is a real restaurant very near the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
I wrote the scene about the gas station barbeque because there’s truly a gas station in Texas that serves amazing barbeque. (There are probably hundreds actually!) The food in Texas can’t be beat.
Sara and her girlfriends go eat doughnuts at Shipley’s. Shipley’s is my favorite doughnut chain in Texas. I am still devastated that there are no Shipley’s in Colorado. For the longest time, no one I knew in Colorado had ever even heard of kolaches! What in the world. I grew up eating sausage kolaches and chocolate-iced doughnuts at Shipley’s Donuts, and every time I’m in Texas, finding a Shipley’s is a must.
The Lake Shore Woods lake house was inspired by a real lake house out in East Texas. My best friend and I stayed there for a weekend years ago and I remember loving how woodsy and beautiful the area was, and thinking that I was going use that setting in a book too.
Sara goes shopping in The Woodlands at a place called Market Street and it’s an area I love to go to whenever I’m back in town—lots of fun restaurants and shops and a movie theater.
There’s a scene where the gang are all hanging out in Hermann hospital waiting room and one of the characters, Debra, brings in several sacks of Whataburger meals. Which is Texas to a T.
I mention Dickens’ on the Strand at Christmastime in the book. This is a real festival in Galveston, Texas, held in late November/early December. It’s a Charles Dickens-esque Christmas celebration with people in costumes and a parade and carolers and street vendors. My grandmother was the one who first told me about it. She and her best girlfriends loved to go to Dickens’ on the Strand together.
When describing Sara’s parents’ house in the affluent Willow Heights area, I mention the azalea bushes by the back deck. This stemmed from the trail of azaleas in Houston’s River Oaks section. It’s a beautiful area with stately homes and during azalea season, you can drive through and see what they call the trail of azaleas. My dad used to drive us through River Oaks when I was a little girl.
As you can probably tell, I love Texas. I was born in Houston and lived there, then Conroe, Texas, and then Porter—both on the outskirts of the city—until I went away to college in Virginia. All of my extended family still live there and whenever I step off the plane and feel the humidity and heat of Texas—and see all the belt buckles and cowboy hats and T-shirts that say, “Most likely to Secede”—I know I’m home again. The places in the book that I didn’t create, such as the museum district and The Woodlands and San Jacinto, are all real places that I’ve touched and experienced. And from the sweet tea the girls drink to the tomato plants Addison grows, these little details come from real-life in Texas.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway package includes the following: summer swag (beach towl, flip flops, sunglasses, bookmark, and candy) & winner’s choice of a print or e-copy of the book.
Giveaway open to US residents only and ends 11:59pm MT on July 21st.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
TOUR SCHEDULE
July 16-Jorie Loves A Story | Joy of Reading | amandainpa
July 17- Paulette’s Papers | The Power of Words
July 18-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic | Pause for Tales | Among the Reads
July 19-Book by Book | Edits and Reviews by Leslie | The Green Mockingbird
July 20-Heidi Reads… | Reading Is My SuperPower | Why Not? Because I Said So!
July 21-Remembrancy | Katie’s Clean Book Collection
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Thursday, July 19th: Tour Stop for Author April Smith's inspirational YA debut novel, 'Loving Grace'. Post includes a list of little-known facts about the book written especially for 'Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic' by the author and a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, July 20th: Friday Fiction Feature is a Blog Tour Stop for a middle-grade novel, 'Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica'. Post includes a book spotlight, author bio, excerpt, ten behind-the-scenes facts shared by the author, and a giveaway. Tour organized by Singing Librarian Books.
# # # # #
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Genre: Contemporary Inspirational Romance
Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
Publication date: June 2017
A group of seven friends navigate relationships and personal growth during a season of change.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
SNIPPET:They all exchanged looks around the table. I felt like they were having this private conversation and hoped the conclusion would be that they wanted me. Because there was something special about the people at this table. The way they kidded and joked and touched each other and moved like one breathing organism. The way they did seem like a family. Six people connected to each other. I wanted to be the seventh.
“I have a feeling, Sara Witherspoon,” Addison said, tilting her head to the side and studying me as though she could see all the way to my heart, “you belong too.”
I don’t know how she knew, but she did. Like I said, Addison is the leader. She’s the glue. Once she said those words, all tension melted away, and I was included. If Addison said I belonged, I did. She reminded me of Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind. If Mrs. Wilkes was the cool-headed voice of reason that could settle the chaos around her, Addison was that same strong, trusted constant amid these six friends. Her word was law. And from that day forward, the six people around that table at Isabella’s became like six extensions of myself.
We were a circle. Within a month, Jason asked me to go out to dinner with him. Luke hadn’t shown any romantic interest in me, and there was Jason, with that thick, dark hair and playful personality and handful of tattoos on his olive skin—how could I say no? We started dating. A year after that, we broke up.
As much as I truly liked Jason and couldn’t help feeling attracted to him, I hadn’t fallen in love. I couldn’t picture us married and having babies. We were better as friends. I know Jason didn’t agree, but he and I both refused to let our break up damage the circle. Eventually, things between us returned to normal.
During my dating-Jason phase, Sam and Lily got married, which didn’t really change anything since they were already such a unit. I realized early on that Luke and Debra were never an item. I’d mistaken Debra’s warm and friendly demeanor and Luke’s tendency to be protective and kind as the traits of a dating couple, but those endearing qualities of both of them extended to all of us. My crush on Luke diminished as Jason and I dated and then shifted to ‘just friends.’
Sort of.
And somewhere along the way, painfully, Luke and I became best friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert. She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Colorado.
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM| BLOG
10 BEHIND-THE-SCENES FACTS ABOUT THE LAST SUMMER’S TEXAS SETTING:
The museum’s Pink-Floyd-laser-light-show date that Sara goes on was inspired by one of my first dates with my husband! He planned the whole date and we went to the Spaghetti Warehouse (which was also a place my parents went to when they were dating) and then the laser light show at the very same museum. Best. Date. Ever.
Bodegas, the restaurant near the museum where Sara and her friend Wendy like to eat, is a real restaurant very near the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
I wrote the scene about the gas station barbeque because there’s truly a gas station in Texas that serves amazing barbeque. (There are probably hundreds actually!) The food in Texas can’t be beat.
Sara and her girlfriends go eat doughnuts at Shipley’s. Shipley’s is my favorite doughnut chain in Texas. I am still devastated that there are no Shipley’s in Colorado. For the longest time, no one I knew in Colorado had ever even heard of kolaches! What in the world. I grew up eating sausage kolaches and chocolate-iced doughnuts at Shipley’s Donuts, and every time I’m in Texas, finding a Shipley’s is a must.
The Lake Shore Woods lake house was inspired by a real lake house out in East Texas. My best friend and I stayed there for a weekend years ago and I remember loving how woodsy and beautiful the area was, and thinking that I was going use that setting in a book too.
Sara goes shopping in The Woodlands at a place called Market Street and it’s an area I love to go to whenever I’m back in town—lots of fun restaurants and shops and a movie theater.
There’s a scene where the gang are all hanging out in Hermann hospital waiting room and one of the characters, Debra, brings in several sacks of Whataburger meals. Which is Texas to a T.
I mention Dickens’ on the Strand at Christmastime in the book. This is a real festival in Galveston, Texas, held in late November/early December. It’s a Charles Dickens-esque Christmas celebration with people in costumes and a parade and carolers and street vendors. My grandmother was the one who first told me about it. She and her best girlfriends loved to go to Dickens’ on the Strand together.
When describing Sara’s parents’ house in the affluent Willow Heights area, I mention the azalea bushes by the back deck. This stemmed from the trail of azaleas in Houston’s River Oaks section. It’s a beautiful area with stately homes and during azalea season, you can drive through and see what they call the trail of azaleas. My dad used to drive us through River Oaks when I was a little girl.
As you can probably tell, I love Texas. I was born in Houston and lived there, then Conroe, Texas, and then Porter—both on the outskirts of the city—until I went away to college in Virginia. All of my extended family still live there and whenever I step off the plane and feel the humidity and heat of Texas—and see all the belt buckles and cowboy hats and T-shirts that say, “Most likely to Secede”—I know I’m home again. The places in the book that I didn’t create, such as the museum district and The Woodlands and San Jacinto, are all real places that I’ve touched and experienced. And from the sweet tea the girls drink to the tomato plants Addison grows, these little details come from real-life in Texas.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Giveaway package includes the following: summer swag (beach towl, flip flops, sunglasses, bookmark, and candy) & winner’s choice of a print or e-copy of the book.
Giveaway open to US residents only and ends 11:59pm MT on July 21st.
Giveaway is subject to policies HERE.
TOUR SCHEDULE
July 16-Jorie Loves A Story | Joy of Reading | amandainpa
July 17- Paulette’s Papers | The Power of Words
July 18-Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic | Pause for Tales | Among the Reads
July 19-Book by Book | Edits and Reviews by Leslie | The Green Mockingbird
July 20-Heidi Reads… | Reading Is My SuperPower | Why Not? Because I Said So!
July 21-Remembrancy | Katie’s Clean Book Collection
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~COMING UP SOON ON 'READING, WRITING & STITCH-METIC':
-- Thursday, July 19th: Tour Stop for Author April Smith's inspirational YA debut novel, 'Loving Grace'. Post includes a list of little-known facts about the book written especially for 'Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic' by the author and a giveaway. Tour organized by JustRead Publicity.
-- Friday, July 20th: Friday Fiction Feature is a Blog Tour Stop for a middle-grade novel, 'Sophie Washington: Mission Costa Rica'. Post includes a book spotlight, author bio, excerpt, ten behind-the-scenes facts shared by the author, and a giveaway. Tour organized by Singing Librarian Books.
# # # # #
~ Author June McCrary Jacobs ~
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View and subscribe to my 'Reading, Wri ...more
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