Friday, May 31, 2013

The Quest Series Completes Book Three with Giveaway

Okay: Time for me to bite the bullet! There are five books in The Quest Series! So sorry for the misleading statement below!

One of my writing friends is launching the third book in his Egyptian The Quest Series. I hope you will join in the celebration of the event by visiting his website, entering the giveaway of his third book The Fallen Pharaoh, and/or entering via Rafflecopter to win one of two sets of the series so far in eBook. The links are listed below.

Good luck all who enter, and Congratulations to S. W. Lothian on finishing his own exciting third adventure!

Here's a peek at his promo photo:



Here is the finished cover for The Fallen Pharaoh:



Visit S.W. Lothian's website: https://swlothian.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/♦-the-fallen-pharaoh-♦-quest-3-♦-launch-giveaway-♦/

Enter the Goodreads Giveaway: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/53053-the-fallen-pharaoh

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/97e26d2/



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Kid Lit Blog Hop #16

Welcome to the 16th Kid Lit Blog Hop. The Kid Lit Blog Hop takes place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. We have managed to create a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read. So, you are more than welcome to link in and take some time to make some new friends. Before we get on with the Hop I want to make sure that you are all aware of the on-going Kid Lit Giveaway Hop, co-hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews. The Kid Lit Giveaway Hop is taking place to honor Children's Book Week (May 13 to 19, 2013). For the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop, children's book or teen literature bloggers, authors, publishers, or publicists are sharing copies of fabulous children/teen's books, gift cards, cash, or other prizes. What better way to celebrate Children's Book Week? Click on the poster below to go to the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop. kidlit book giveaway hop  

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop
<div align="center"><a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops/" title="Kid Lit Blog Hop"><img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kid-Lit-Blog-Hop-Button-Sep-2012-e1349976901756.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
 

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *NEW*:

1. *NEW* We ask that you kindly follow your hostesses and co-hostesses. You can follow us any way you choose (Email, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, etc.), but we've added our preferences below. If you could just give us a quick "follow" or "like" that would be much appreciated! Make sure to leave us a message if you are following us (i.e., on Twitter or Facebook or on our websites) and we will be sure to follow you back. Thanks! :-)
Hostesses:
Co-Hostesses:
2. Link up any Kid Lit related post. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.
* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post*
* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one *
* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*
* Feel free to link more than one post.*
3. *NEW* Please visit the two links directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!
Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop? Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.
Happy Hopping!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Meet Children's Author Penny Lockwood

Today we welcome Penny Lockwood author of the newly released children's picture book Boo's Bad Day. Penny is currently in the middle of her blog tour. She asked that I let my readers know that at the end of the tour, she will pick one commenter's to will win an autographed copy of Boo's Bad Day if they live in the U.S. Should the commenter live outside the U.S., they will receive a PDF copy of her book. Be sure to leave your contact information when you comment.

First, a bit about Penny:

Penny Lockwood has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications, and nonfiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She edits for MuseItUp Publishing. Visit her web site at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com. Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com.

She has recently released Boo’s Bad Day with 4RV Publishing and has three other children’s books under contract with them: Ghost for Rent, Ghost for Lunch, and Many Colored Coats. She has three romances published by MuseItUp Publishing: Love Delivery, Lady in Waiting, and Mirror, Mirror.  Her short story collection, A Past and A Future, is available through Sam’s Dot Publishing and Smashwords.

Why did you pick to write books for children?

I actually like writing for all age levels and have books published for adults, young adults, middle grade and preschool. Boo’s Bad Day, which I am currently promoting, is a picture book. I chose to write this as a picture book since I was thinking of my grandchildren when I was looking for a new writing project.  My granddaughter is five and already an incredible reader, but when I started the process of writing and publishing Boo, she was much younger.  She really enjoys books and loved to listen to someone read to her and quickly went from pre-reading to reading. Fortunately, my grandson is now of the age where he enjoys being read to. I get a real kick out of hearing that he wants Mommy or Daddy to read him the “kitty” book.

What types of books do you like to read?

I tend to enjoy fantasy and science fiction, with an occasional romance or mystery. Although, I belong to a book group where I’ve been exposed to a lot of literature I might not necessarily choose for myself. This is a good thing as there are a lot of excellent books out there that aren’t fantasy or sci fi!

Tell us about Boo's Bad Day and how the story came to be.

Boo's Bad Day takes readers to a day in the life of kitten Boo, who sneaks out the house and discovers that freedom, by himself, can be scary. Readers experience the frightful things Boo encounters and the lesson learned. It was illustrated by Deborah C. Johnson.

Boo’s Bad Day started percolating many years ago when our teenage cat Boo was lost outside during an ice storm. I always thought it would make a great story. Poor little guy knew how to get up a tree, but he didn’t know how to get down. When I decided to write a picture book, I knew the time had come to do something with Boo’s story. Of course, the book is not just the story of him up a tree. I’ve added other adventures to make the story more interesting to little people. There were many drafts, with lots of edits, moms who were willing to read a picture book without pictures to their little people, and finally a submission, an acceptance, and more edits. I’m quite pleased with the final product.


Here's a peak at Boo's Bad Day:

Boo is a very bored kitten. When Timmy and his mom return home, Boo sneaks out of the house.  Boo is frightened by the noises of the big world outside of the safety of his warm home. When Timmy coaxes Boo back into the house, Boo realizes some places are safe and some are not.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Yes, my other children’s books are Ghost for Rent and Ghost for Lunch, middle grade paranormal mysteries. Ghost for Rent was previously published by an eBook publisher who went out of business.  I’m excited that 4RV Publishing has picked it up as well as the sequel and will be packaging them together including illustrations by Aidana Willow-Raven. I have another picture book scheduled for future release with 4RV Publishing as well:  Many Colored Coats. My adult fiction published by MuseItUP Publishing includes Love Delivery (contemporary romance), Lady in Waiting (historical romance), and Mirror, Mirror (time travel romance). I also have a short story collection published by Sam’s Dot Publishing (available as an eBook through Smashwords): A Past and A Future, comprised of twenty short stories half of which are fantasy and the other half are science fiction.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

We have a new granddaughter arriving in July. I’m putting writing on a temporary hold so I can be helpful to my daughter. I do, however, have a couple of stories I’ve been playing with. One is the next in the Ghost series. Another is a YA/adult fantasy.

What advice do you have for other authors?

I tend to say the same thing regardless of what genre or age group writers are targeting. That would be to have faith in yourself, study other books written in the same genre, take classes to improve your grammar and writing skills, and study publisher’s guidelines and catalogues.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I want to thank everyone for their support and encourage your blog readers to follow along during this blog tour.  Since I plan to give away a signed copy of Boo’s Bad Day, the more times a name gets in the hat, the more likely it will be picked. 

I also want to say what a wonderful job Deborah C. Johnson did on the illustrations for Boo. I couldn’t have found anyone better. She must have kitties in her home because she captured the essence of Boo and the features are perfect.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penny.ehrenkranz
Twitter: @PennyEhrenkranz
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyehrenkranz
Website: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com
Blog: http://pennylockwoodehrenkanz.blogspot.com


If you missed yesterday’s post, you can catch up at http://www.dreamseekeradventures.com/blog. Tomorrow, she’ll be visiting with http://mgddasef.blogspot.com

Monday, May 13, 2013

Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop featuring Young Knights of the Round Table: The King's Ransom



To celebrate the Release of the paperback copy of 

Young Knights of the Round Table: The King's Ransom
I've invited the boys back to conduct the Virtual Tour of the Welsh settings found in the book. 
Also one lucky visitor will win their preferred eBook format of the award-winning book!
 

Enjoy a tour of the Welsh settings in The King's Ransom by The Young Knights themselves: Gavin, Bryan, and Philip. 

Sit back, munch on English scones with jam and clotted cream, and sip some English tea as you start your journey.  

English Scone w/jam and clotted cream
English Tea
         
First stop is the historic Pembroke Castle in southern Wales

 
Pembroke Castle



 Hi! Gavin here.  Wanted to show you my home. Well, not really my home. When I grew up, castles were made mostly of wood. Oh we had some stone inside the castle keep, but not much. Over the centuries, the wood rotted, and eventually my home was abandoned by my descendents.

Around 1093, the castle pictured above was built. In 1457, Harri Tudur, also known as Henry VII, was born there.

Today, Pembroke Castle, along with its surrounding grounds, is maintained by a Private Charitable Trust and is open for public tours year round. For more information, visit Pembroke Castle.

Next stop is Manorbier Castle which is also located in southern Wales. 


Manorbier Castle


In The King's Ransom, this is where my family's enemy lives. For years, Manorbier's King Edward has attempted to annex our family lands. The alliance between my father King Wallace and King Arthur put an end to Edward's schemes.

Today, Manorbier Castle enjoys a happier connection: It appears in the movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe!

I have heard that now people can actually stay in the castle and in the village. If you would like to learn more, visit Manorbier Castle.


Lunch Stop! Are you hungry? thirsty? Ready for a little diversion?

I am. Hi there. Bryan speaking. Fishguard on the coast has the greatest pubs. We're stopping today at the Royal Oak Pub

Royal Oak Pub
for a special treat: Cornish Pasty with Welsh ale or beer.  For our younger members of the tour,  Ginger beer is on tap!





 Our author, Cheryl Carpinello, makes these also. What a great meal!
Cornish Pasty
Ginger Beer

Full? No time for a nap. We've arranged for a mock sword fight by none other than Medieval Knights!



Wow! That was exciting! But Philip keeps pulling on my sleeve. He waiting to take you to the final locations. Hope you are enjoying yourself.

I'm Philip. We're on our way to the final two locations before nightfall.

From Fishguard, we'll head back south along the coast to Cardigan Bay. This location plays at important part in our story. We all come to Bryan's rescue here, but don't tell anyone! You can read all about it in The King's Ransom.


Cardigan Bay
The bay looks calm here, but in a storm, the sea ravishes both sand and humans. Unlike when we were there, Cardigan Bay now offers visitors sandy beaches and dolphins in the sea. To learn more about this seaside village, visit Cardigan Bay.


Final stop on our tour is St. David's Head.
St. David's Head
This shows all the beauty of St. David's, but wait until you try climbing up to the top in the dark and in driving rain! Oops, don't think I was supposed to tell you that.

Philip! I said not to give anything away.

I'm sorry, Cheryl. I'll just tell them how to find out more about St. David's Head.

Well, hurry up. Their tour bus is ready to leave.

To find out more, visit St. David's Head

Thanks for visiting us and our locations in Wales. We hope you buy and read our story Young Knights of the Round Table: The King's Ransom.

Gavin, do you think Cheryl will write us another story?

We'll have to see, Philip. I know she's been thinking of it. Any idea where Bryan went?

There he is!

Where, Philip? I don't see him.

He's in the tour bus! And it's leaving!

Hey, wait for us! Wait! Bryan, tell the driver to wait!

Gavin, slow down. I can't run that fast.

If you don't, Philip, you'll be walking all the way back to Pembroke Castle!

Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoyed the tour of Wales, and we all hope you enjoy Young Knights of the Round Table: The King's Ransom!





 














a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Meet Children's Author Gabrielle Mazur

Today we welcome Children's author Gabrielle Mazur to Carpinello's Writing Pages. Her children's book Boppy and Me is scheduled for release in late spring/early summer.


First a bit about Gabrielle: Gabrielle Mazur was raised in Detroit, MI. As a teen her family made a move to an outlying suburb, Milford. Growing up she was surrounded by a large family of musicians, artists, and writers. Gabrielle and her siblings were among the first families in Michigan to be schooled at home. This unique situation afforded her a very close relationship with her parents who encouraged creativity, especially writing. Gabrielle can vividly remember the frequent trips to the library to bring home stacks and stacks of books.

She settled in Gulf Shores, Alabama in the summer of 2008 with her husband, Paul, and young daughter.  As a dog-lover she and her husband have raised 3 huskies and currently have an Old English Bulldog. Her most treasured dreams are to travel the world and become a real live author.  


Why did you choose to write for children? 

I love that children's books use a collaboration of two mediums to make an impact: art and the written word. Until recently,  the allure of children's books was on the reading side for me. I've always been an avid reader. Even as a child. My favorite books that I read then made a long lasting impression. When my daughter was born I was pulled back into that magical realm once again. This time I didn't let go.

What types of books do you like to read?

Novels are my favorite. I enjoy a wide range of genres, actually, from Historical to Contemporary.  My first loves, though, were British classics. Really old books are the best! They are the first thing I look for at an antique store or garage sale. The faint musty smell and those yellowed pages are the beginning of my passage into another time and place. I love old books so much that I named my daughter, Lorna, after a favorite of mine, Lorna Doone.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I'm a wife and mother before anything else in my life. So spending time with my family is super important to me. We live close to the Gulf of Mexico in Gulf Shores, AL. I love to go to the beach and chill out with my family and friends. My husband got me interested in photography; shooting the sunsets on the beach is amazing. We also love to cook for and laugh with our dear friends.

Tell us about Boppy and Me and how the story came to be.


Boppy and Me is a story from a young girls perspective about her buddy and grandfather, 
Boppy. My daughter, Lorna, has always had a very strong bond with her grandfather. In Boppy and Me she explains why they are so special to each other. It's a touching, true to life story with simply beautiful artwork.

I believe Boppy and Me is an important book for our time. Like so many moms, I had to go back to work after having my daughter. My folks helped me out so much by babysitting for me. I came to see a similar phenomenon all around me. So many grandparents caring for their grandkids while parents worked. So many little ones running into grandpa or grandma's arms after preschool or at the park.  I wanted to focus on this positive by-product of living in an economy that makes it necessary for both parents to work secularly. In this role grandparents are taking advantage of an opportunity to shape their grandkids young personalities, instill values, and forge deep family connections.


Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Boppy and Me is my first published work. I have other manuscripts waiting in the wings. There are many stories to tell.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I just finished writing another children's book actually. It celebrates the uniqueness of an only child written in a whimsical rhyme. It was so much fun to write.

What advice do you have for other authors?

At risk of sounding like a swimming Disney character: Just keep writing.

Where can readers find you?

GabrielleMazurBooks.com

YouTube link to "Boppy and Me" book trailer: http://youtu.be/XcoCkg0AO7M

Connect with Gabrielle: 

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/GabrielleMazurBooks?ref=hl 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrielleMazur
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=210580964&trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/15510302-gabrielle-mazur

Kid Lit Blog Hop #15

Welcome to the 15th Kid Lit Blog Hop. The Kid Lit Blog Hop takes place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. We have managed to create a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read. So, you are more than welcome to link in and take some time to make some new friends. I want to take this opportunity to welcome a new permanent hostess on the Hop: Cheryl Carpinello. Cheryl is the author of Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend and The King's Ransom (The Young Knights of the Round Table) and she also blogs over at Carpinello's Writing Pages. Big, big welcome to you Cheryl! :-) Before we get on with the Hop I do want to remind you that the sign-ups for the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop, co-hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews is NOW OPEN but they will close May 10th. The Kid Lit Giveaway Hop is taking place to honor Children's Book Week (May 13 to 19, 2013). Children's book or teen literature bloggers, authors, publishers, or publicists looking to share copies of a fabulous book are welcome to link in a giveaway for fabulous children/teen's books, gift cards, cash, or other prizes. What better way to celebrate Children's Book Week? Click on the poster below for more information. kidlit book giveaway hop  

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop
<div align="center"><a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops/" title="Kid Lit Blog Hop"><img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kid-Lit-Blog-Hop-Button-Sep-2012-e1349976901756.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
 

Suggestions For How to Participate:

1. Although not mandatory, we ask that you kindly follow your hostesses and co-hostesses. You can follow us any way you choose (Email, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, etc.), but we've added our preferences below. If you could just give us a quick "follow" or "like" that would be much appreciated! Make sure to leave us a message if you are following us (i.e., on Twitter or Facebook or on our websites) and we will be sure to follow you back. Thanks! :-)

Hostesses:

Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Jaymie @ Snacks for Max Twitter * Facebook

Heidi @ Geo Librarian Twitter * Facebook

Sue @ Kid Lit Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Katie @ Youth Literature Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Julie Grasso, Author of Escape From the Forbidden Planet/Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Cheryl Carpinello, Author of Guinevere & The King's Ransom / Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Co-Hostesses:

Ang @ Juggling Act Mama Twitter * Facebook

2. Link up any Kid Lit related post. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

3. Check out some other books. Don't be a stranger, go see what books other families are checking out, and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!
Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop? Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.
Happy Hopping!