BookElves Anthology Volume 2 Release!

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the second volume of the "BookElves Anthology" featuring some of your favorite middle grade authors. Now available - just in time for the holiday season!

 

  

About the Book

Title: BookElves Anthology, Volume 2 | Authors: Jemima Pett, Cheryl Carpinello, Rebecca M. Douglass, Wendy Leighton-Porter, S.W. Lothian, Annaliese Matheron, Ben Zackheim | Publication Date: November 12, 2015 | Publisher: Princelings Publications | Pages: 176 | Recommended Ages: 8 to 14 Summary: Seven authors, seven new tales to twang your heartstrings as you snuggle up cosy and warm during the long winter nights. Will the Christmas fairy be ready to grant your wishes? Will Shirley Link solve all the clues to her presents? Will a keen inventor steal the heart of a lady? Will another lady have her life saved by a horse? And will Santa's reindeer, a lost and forlorn hero, and a boy under the spell of a wicked witch find their way home when they are left out in the cold at midwinter? Find out in this second anthology from the MG BookElves, a selection that older children will love, and adults will enjoy reading to younger children.

• Shirley Link's friends help her rediscover the joy of Christmas by setting her musical puzzles to solve - and with her detective skills, maybe she's the only one who can! Ben Zackheim (Shirley Link Detective Series, the Camelot Kids)
•  Max the talking Tonkinese cat has an unpleasant surprise when he finds himself trapped in the attic one night and, while pondering his escape, discovers that he’s not alone. Help comes from a rather unexpected quarter … and the Twelve Days of Christmas will never seem quite the same again! Wendy Leighton-Porter (The Shadows from the Past series)
• Not only does Melvin Finklestein plan to impress his peers with his brilliant cracker at the Beverly Hills College of Gifted Inventors Xmas Reunion Spectacular, he’s determined to win the heart of the wonderful Trixie Tragik. What could possibly go wrong? S W Lothian (The Quest series, Time Square series)
• If you found a lost reindeer in the woods, could you hide him away long enough for him regain his ability to fly? Find out who else Dougall meets when he befriends Reinhardt the reindeer. Jemima Pett (The Princelings of the East series)
• Halitor can't find the people who need his help on the long night of Midwinter. But they find him, and there may be some holiday magic in the air. Rebecca M Douglass (The Ninja Librarian series, Halitor the Hero)
• Once this warhorse carried a mighty king; now he carries a cargo more precious - the young girl destined to be his queen. Cheryl Carpinello (Young Knights of King Arthur series, Young Guinevere)
• The Witch War is over, but the scars of their spells still cause havoc in Werifesteria, even King Aldridge is affected. When Jacob’s father is taken by the witch of The Dark Wood he and the king set out on a quest to return him. A fun fairy-tale adventure by Annaliese Matheron (Ninja Nan series)

  Each tale weaves its own seasonal magic. Each magician has already warmed the hearts of thousands of young readers with their stories. Enjoy these frantic races to meet the Christmas deadline while you curl up in your favourite reading spot this winter.

Amazon (Print) * Amazon (Kindle) * Amazon (UK)

Smashwords * iTunes * B&N * Kobo * Goodreads

 

About the Authors:

Cheryl Carpinello is a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, her profession introduced her to writings and authors from times long past. Through her studies and teaching, she fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, she hopes to inspire young readers to read more through her Quest Books set in these worlds.
Website: http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com







                                                          

Rebecca M. Douglass has been reading and writing stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She has a special fondness for fantasy thanks to childhood visits to Narnia and Middle Earth. Ms. Douglass uses her word-processor near San Francisco, CA, where she lives with her husband and two teenage sons, while her imagination runs where it will, in this world and out. She is the author of the beloved Ninja Librarian books, as well as a picture book for outdoor families, a mystery for the parents, and of course the middle-grade fantasy, Halitor the Hero. Website: http://ninjalibrarian.com

                           

Wendy Leighton-Porter devotes her time to writing books for children after 20 years of teaching French, Latin and Classical studies. Shadows from the Past is a series of time-travel adventure stories, featuring three children and a rather special Tonkinese cat. She lives in France and Abu Dhabi, and is currently working on the ninth book in the series, The Shadow of the Tudor Rose. Website: http://www.wendy-leighton-porter.com

                                                                                            

S.W. Lothian is the creator of edge-of-your-seat time-travel adventures that provide thrills for all ages. From his sun-drenched home in Australia he pens exciting books that launch readers into epic settings filled with amazing action. Great characters, mystery, and humour make a broth of irresistible tales. Through recent personal experience, S.W. has become a passionate advocate of raising awareness of Childhood Cancer. Improved awareness leads to increased research, which hopefully will lead to a cure. Website: http://swlothian.com 



Unlike many authors Annaliese Matheron never knew what she wanted to be. She wanted to do a million and one different things – be an ice-skater, or an archaeologist, or an astrophysicist, or a theatre director – luckily she realised that by being an author she could be all these things and more. Annaliese now spends her time making stuff up and writing it down. Her humorous adventure story Ninja Nan and Sidekick Grandad was a finalist in the 2013 People’s Book Prize. Website: http://annaliesematheron.com

                                                         

Jemima Pett lives in a three-bedroom red-brick castle surrounded by water, along with her guinea pigs, the inspiration for brain-twisting The Princelings of the East. She writes their adventures as fast as she can, but sometimes writes science fiction adventures about asteroid miners and their friends instead. She lives in Norfolk, writes in UK English and occasionally in US English or double Dutch. Website: http://jemimapett.com

                                                                                                  

Ben Zackheim started writing Shirley Link in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. He's up to book five in the series, which will be titled Shirley Link & The Party Poopers. He lives in Massachusetts, at 42.5098° N, 72.6995° W, surrounded by the Forbidden Forest, with his wife and son. Website: http://benzackheim.com      

Follow the MG BookElves on Facebook: http://facebook.com/mgbookelves and elsewhere using #MGBookElves.

Please also give your support to the other MG BookElves not included in this year's Anthology: * Melanie Abed * Julie Anne Grasso * Paul Hewlett * Fiona Ingram * M G King * S. Smith

 

Goodreads Giveaway

Prize: 2 copies of the "BookElves Anthology, Volume 2", the paperback edition, worldwide. Open: Worldwide Giveaway Ends: Nov 26 2015

Goodreads Book Giveaway

BookElves Anthology Volume 2

by Jemima Pett

Giveaway ends November 26, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

** Book Blast Giveaway **

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: November 26, 11:59 pm, 2015 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors of the BookElves Anthology, Volume 2 and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

12 Authors of Christmas Giveaway

Welcome to the fantastic 12 Authors of Christmas seasonal giveaway and blog tour!

 

Our busy Book Elves are giving away a total of 30 prizes of books suitable for Middle Grade readers - age roughly 8 to 14 - although a lot of adults enjoy them too!

Who are the Authors on tour?

All these authors are interviewing each other, reviewing each others' books and more in the Giveaway blog tour starting 1st December. Click the links to go to their websites and find out more about them, and check out their books in the InLinkz list below.

Jemima Pett: the Princelings of the East series (1st, 11th and 18th December)

M G King: Fizz & Peppers at the Bottom of the World (2nd and 10th December)

Fiona Ingram: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab (3rd and 12th December)

Wendy Leighton-Porter: The Shadows from the Past series (4th and 14th December)

Stanley and Katrina (Pet Authors): The Perpetual Papers of a Pack of Pets (5th and 17th December)

Ben Zackheim: Shirley Link, ace detective series (6th and 19th December)

Rebecca Douglass: The Ninja Librarian and Return to Skunk Corners (7th and 16th December)

Cheryl Carpinello: The Young Knights of the Round Table series (8th and 13th December)

S Smith: The Seed Savers series (9th and 18th December)

Julie Grasso: Caramel Cardamom series (11th and 22nd December)

Paul R Hewlett: Lionel's Grand Adventure series (16th and 20th December)

S W Lothian: the Quest series (tba)

 

Check out all these books!

Now Enter the Giveaway!

You could win a prize from one of these authors. Most are offering one or two books from their series: if you've already got the first, they may offer you a different one if you win. The prizes are as detailed on the rafflecopter form.  
Contest runs: December 1st to 23rd, 11:59 pm EST, 2013  
Open: Worldwide  
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have until 28th Dec. to respond. If the winner does not respond in that time, a new draw will take place for a new winner. No cash alternatives to the ebooks offered. Authors may (at their sole discretion) offer a different ebook from that listed if the winner already owns the prize listed. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors named and is hosted and managed by Jemima Pett, the Princelings author. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to jemima (dot) pett (at) gmail (dot) com.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Children's Author Rebecca Douglass

Many times books come from the most unexpected places. This is true for The Ninja Librarian by children's author Rebecca Douglas. Welcome, Rebecca.

First, a bit about Rebecca:


Rebecca Douglass grew up in Idaho, Arizona, and Washington states, and now lives near San Francisco with her husband and two teenaged sons. Her imagination resides where it pleases, in and out of this world. After a decade of working at the library, she is still learning the secrets of The Ninja Librarian. Her passions include backpacking, hiking, books, and running and biking. She works at the library, volunteers in the schools, and drinks too much coffee while writing.




Why did you pick to write books for children?

I have experimented in the past with writing a children’s book—historical fiction, which is probably my favorite sort of children’s lit—but the Ninja Librarian is more an accidental children’s book. I wrote most of it as stories to entertain my fellow library staffers, and it was one of them who noticed that in a lot of ways it was a kids’ story. Once we saw that, I worked to make it more kid-compatible, but I have to say that the audience remains mixed—adults love the Ninja Librarian at least as much as kids do.

Since I do like children’s books, I am continuing to write for kids, but also working on my first adult mystery. 

What types of books do you like to read?

I have pretty eclectic (or was that eccentric?) tastes. I am a big fan of humor: P.G. Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett. I also enjoy mysteries: Dorothy Sayers, Jacqueline Winspeare, Aaron Elkins, Dana Stabenow, Nancy Atherton, Nevada Barr, Peter Bowen. Likewise juvenile lit (upper elem more than YA, as the latter is usually too full of teen romantic angst for me): Richard Peck, Brian Jacques, Christopher Paul Curtis, Louisa May Alcott, L.M. Montgomery. I incline a lot to historical children’s books, and learn a lot there.


I like non-fiction, too, especially history (with a particular interest in women and children in the settling of the American West), and science/natural science to stretch my English-lit brain a bit.  I read a lot of what I call literary non-fiction: natural history essays, etc.

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

Aside from reading and writing, I like a lot of active things: my idea of a perfect vacation is a week-long backpack trip. I like long bike rides and dayhikes nearer home, and I enjoy my garden, where I’m working hard to make edible things grow in lousy urban soil in a climate where not much thrives. (I also landscape with native plants, which thrive year-round with no water and minimal attention.) Over the last 11 years, a great deal of time has also gone into our local schools, where I have progressed from PTA mom to member of the School Board. And, of course, raising our boys is a full-time job.

Tell us about The Ninja Librarian and how the story came to be.

The Ninja Librarian is a collection of tall tales that tell the story of a very fictional town called Skunk Corners. All is predictable there, if not very pleasant, until an older librarian gets off the train and proves that looks can be deceiving--and that the town doesn't have to be such an awful place.

Many of the adventures in the book were sparked by incidents at the library. The original idea grew out of one smart-aleck comment by the reference librarian, who bears a surprising physical resemblance to the book's eponymous hero. After that, I kept looking around for the challenges that face a library, many of which are surprisingly similar in 21st-Century suburbia and 19th-Century frontier town Skunk Corners. I would probably never have written a whole book’s worth, though, if not for my co-workers who kept asking when another story was coming.

Here's a peek at The Ninja Librarian:

Skunk Corners is a pretty miserable place when the Ninja Librarian moves in. It's just a dusty, tough town in the dusty, tough hills. Folks there aren't too friendly, and they don't see much need for high-falutin' nonsense like schools--or libraries. But from the moment the unassuming, white-haired gentleman steps off the train and into these tall tales, the changes begin. The Ninja Librarian uses wisdom, patience, book-learning, and a few well-placed kicks and jabs to change the town forever. 





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

Like most writers, I have a trail of not-quite-up-to-snuff MSS leading clear back to childhood, but The Ninja Librarian is my first published book.  I expect to bring out the sequel, Return to Skunk Corners, by the end of April (only two months behind schedule!).

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

In addition to the new Ninja Librarian book, I am working on revising a murder mystery (adult lit this time!), Murder Stalks the PTA, which I hope will be fit to share by the end of the year.  Just to keep sane, I’ve begun a completely new children’s book, a humorous fantasy called Halitor the Hero. I will probably continue writing both for children and adults, and also will continue to write and revise at the same time!

In the shorter term, while developing a cover for Return to Skunk Corners, I’m also working on a new cover for The Ninja Librarian.

What advice do you have for other authors?

I’m not sure my advice is worth much, considering how many decades it took me to get here, but I’ll borrow some from Winston Churchill: Never, never, never give up.  Keep writing, keep revising, keep getting people to read your work. Find an editor, and invest in a coffee plantation somewhere because you’ll be keeping their profits high! In all seriousness, while writing can be a lot of fun, if you don’t find some of it working, you probably aren’t doing it right. Rewriting and revising can be discouraging, but are the difference between good writing and bad.

Anything else you want readers to know?
 
I’d love to hear from you, so drop by my Facebook page or blog and leave a message!

Where to find Rebecca:

Blog: www.ninjalibrarian.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/pages/The-Ninja-Librarian/305808032816136 

Where to find The Ninja Librarian:

Amazon 

Smashwords 

Goodreads