My Review Of Heaven And Hound Rise Of The Alpha

About the Book

Title: Heaven and Hound: Rise of the Alpha (Heaven and Hound series) * Author: LJ Clarkson * Publication Date: November 23, 2014 * Publisher: Indicated Publications and Promotions * Pages: 151 *Recommended Age: 8 to 13

Summary: Dog-fearer extraordinaire, Barny Pedrotter is the world’s most unlikely Alpha. To him, mutts are the worst. Protective. Snappy. Love the taste of Barny’s pants. Proven when the millionth Pomeranian attacks him on the way to school, sparking childhood fears. The whole thing-him crying and leaping onto his best mate’s back, and trying to defend his pants with a newspaper-is caught on video and goes viral. Thanks to the local newspaper twisting the facts and branding him a dog beater, he loses his vacation position at LC Comics. Now he’s left with three days to find another job, or else flunk ninth grade.

Trouble is, the only available position is training Mr. Lucius’ cursed and disobedient hellhounds to track his missing father. No matter how scared Barny is, he’d rather face the fleabags than fail school. Except working with Mr. Lucius drags Barny into a millennia-old family feud, where Louis’ jealous, scheming sister, Gaybreeal, tries every little dirty trick to sabotage them and spark a war between Heaven and Earth. Barny must summon the Alpha within to command the hounds, or end up on their menu.

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My Review:  Magic. Adventure. Mystery. Fun characters. Poor Barny doesn't know what he is getting into when he takes on the job as alpha. He's afraid of dogs. These are hell hounds he is taking care of. He ends up in the middle of a family feud. Fun read. 

About The Author: LJ Clarkson

LJ Clarkson tells everyone she gave up her Environmental Engineering career to study a Masters in Creative Writing and pursue her writing dreams. But that’s not entirely true. Ten percent of the time she sleeps in. Playing spider solitaire consumes 5% (bad, bad habit). Running Indicated, a promotional site for authors steals another 18.75%. In her remaining waking hours, she writes, laughs at her own jokes or characters, sings out of tune, recites useless, but very fascinating facts and reads children’s books. If she were a Mastermind, she’d uninvent early mornings, grammar, broccoli, cleaning, and her dog’s fussy eating habits. She is the author of the Mastermind Academy andHeaven and Hound series.

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My Review Of Dewi And The Seeds Of Doom

About the Book

Title: Dewi and the Seeds of Doom  *  Author: Maggie Lyons  *  Year Published: 2012  *  Publisher:MuseItUp Publishing * Pages: 70  *  Recommended Age: 6+

Summary: When Dewi is clobbered by a falling rat, the nosy Welsh dragon snoops his way into a challenging predicament. Helped by a toad with a passion for chemical wart cures, Dewi discovers that a megalomaniac baron is secretly breeding mutant corn at an unfriendly castle. To thwart the genetically modified-corn baron’s sickening plan, he must use moxie and firepower in a series of catastrophe-skirting capers.

Amazon (Print) | Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

My Review:  Dragon. Castle. Bad guy. These things make for a good mystery. Dewi who is a dragon asks his father if someone planned to do something you thought could be dangerous, what would you do? Dewi needs to figure out what to do about Baron Boom and the corn.Can Dewi stop him? Can he get someone to believe him? Fun read. Great adventure.  

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The Buzz

“One of Maggie Lyons’ talents is her ability to infuse humor and a hefty dose of parody into her writing. The book is without visual illustrations (except for a terrific cover) but the story is so well written that children will be beguiled. An excellent, witty, full of fun book for children (ages 6 – 11, and adults with a love for entertainment) to stretch their imaginations and have a terrific time doing so.” ~ 5 Star Review, Grady H., Top 100 Amazon Reviewer

“What a delightful story! What child wouldn’t love this? It’s a story for 6-10 year olds. It’s a great book to read to your children when they’re young or by themselves when they’re older. If your child likes Geronimo Stilton, they’ll fall in love with Dewi the little dragon and his friend Jones the toad. I hope Maggie Lyons will turn this into a series.” ~ 5-Star review from unicorngirl, Amazon US

“Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is well written with characters that will keep the reader laughing, and a plot that flows easily along.” ~ 5-Star review from Wayne S., Goodreads

“Ms. Lyons conjured a great tale that is marvelously creative. My niece now loves this book and is begging for me to buy her a “Dewi the dragon” plush toy. Ms. Lyons, write another Dewi story and start making plush toys too! Most of all, thank you for a wonderful afternoon solving a mystery with my niece.”~ 5-Star review from T.F. Simmons, Amazon US

About The Author: Maggie Lyons

Maggie Lyons was born in Wales and very properly brought up in England before gravitating to Virginia’s coast. She zigzagged her way through a motley slew of careers from (unofficial) British spy to academic editor. Writing and editing nonfiction for adults brought plenty of satisfaction but nothing like the magic she discovered writing for kids. Her children’s books Vin and the Dorky Duet (for ages 7 through 12) and Dewi and the Seeds of Doom (for ages 6 through 10) are available on order at most book stores including Amazon.

Website  *  Amazon Author Page  *  Facebook

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My Review Of Emma Learns To Sprout

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2014 | Age Level: 3 - 8 | Grade Level: P - 2

This lovely children's book is about how to gain healthy eating habits in a creative way
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What can parents do in order to help their kids to eat nutritious food?

Emma is a sweet kindergartener who learns to sprout lentils with her mom in their kitchen in a fun and super-easy way.

After hearing her mom’s explanations on this beautiful process and its enormous benefits, she gets enthusiastic: "I want to sprout!"

Here are several reasons why you should sprout with your kids:
1. It fascinates kids.
A child that sees the legume in its raw form at the beginning will be fascinated to observe how they swell, and later begin to grow small “tails,” eventually growing beautiful long “tails” (those are the sprouts).
2. It's fast and simple.
Unlike what some parents might think, sprouting with children requires only a few minutes a day.
3. It's significantly higher in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients than dry legumes.
4. It's a wonderful parent-child activity.
What better way to spend time with your children than by teaching them how to grow something nutritious? Sprouting is simple enough for preschoolers to understand. And unlike other DIY activities, it doesn’t make a mess!
5. It's a wonderful DIY activity for kids!
After you've done a few successful sproutings with the kids, they can start doing it all by themselves. Yes, it's really that simple!
6. Sprouting makes legumes easier to digest.
7. The sprouts can be used in variety of ways.
Both raw, in a salad or as a snack, or as a healthier alternative to dry legumes in any recipe that calls for them.
8. Sprouting increases the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals in the body.
So how can we sprout legumes easily, and how can parents make their kids enthusiasts about sprout legumes and later eat them?

Read our interesting, fun story to find out!

It's a must for all children and parents, preschool teachers and nutritionists. This children's book gives unique and creative tools for dealing with the issue of healthy eating among young children, a matter that is relevant to every family. Not only does it makes kids understand the importance of eating well, but it also helps to deal with kids who refuse to eat well with a creative, unexpected solution that leaves both children and their parents surprised.


This children's book is a great read for preschoolers.

My Review:  Entertaining way to teach children about sprouting and how to eat healthy. Also Emma had to learn to be patient because it takes a while before you can eat the sprouts. 

My Review Of A Pair Of Docks

About the Book

Title: A Pair of Docks (Derivatives of Displacement, Book #1) | Author: Jennifer Ellis | Publication Date: Dec. 8, 2013 | Publisher: Moonbird Press | Number of pages: 308 | Recommended age: 10+

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Abbey Sinclair likes to spend her afternoons in the physics lab learning about momentum and gravitational pull. But her practical scientific mind is put to the test when her older brother, Simon, discovers a mysterious path of stones that allows them, along with Abbey’s twin, Caleb, to travel back and forth between their world and what appears to be…the future. Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones who know about the stones, and they soon realize their lives are in danger from a man known only as Mantis. Abbey, Caleb, and Simon must follow a twisting trail of clues that will lead them from their autistic neighbor, Mark, to a strange professor who claims to know the rules of the stones, and to multiple futures—some of whose inhabitants don’t want to stay put. It will take all of Abbey’s analytical skills to unravel the secrets of the stones, uncover the threads that tie the futures together, thwart Mantis’s plan, and, most importantly, keep her family alive—now and in the future. A Pair of Docks explores Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the meaning of time, the potential for parallel universes, and the boundary between science and witchcraft. It is the first novel in the Derivatives of Displacement series.

Amazon | Goodreads

My Review:  I loved this book. This book is full of mystery, adventure, and danger. Abbey and Caleb follow their older brother Simon through a magical doorway that leads them to another world. Where is this world? Are they in danger? Abbey, Caleb, and Simon go on a wild journey to discover the answers. 

The Buzz About the Book

“A wonderfully fun story with great character development (the kids were great!). I enjoyed this book actually more than A Wrinkle In Time (I always felt like Madeleine L’Engle didn’t really like her male characters).” ~ 5 Star Review, JRM “avid reader”, Amazon

“Let me say upfront that I stayed up nearly all night reading this book…yes, it’s that good. I was swept up with the characters and their lives and could not put the book down until I had finished it.” ~ 5 Star Review, Judith M., Goodreads

“I was drawn into the story almost immediately and found myself eagerly awaiting getting back to it every night. The writing is skillfully done and the characters come alive with dialogue that is real and natural. If you liked Harry Potter you will love this.” ~ 5 Star Review, KindledSynapse, Amazon

About the Author: Jennifer Ellis

Jennifer Ellis lives in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada with her husband, two sons and geriatric cat. She can generally be found writing, running, spending too much time on skis, and working as an environmental researcher. She writes science fiction, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic fiction for kids and adults. You can subscribe to her blog for the latest book news and industry insights at www.jenniferellis.ca.

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Phase One: Identify by Rose Wynters

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 12/30/14 – 1/13/15
Genres: Young Adult Romance, Horror, Zombies, Science Fiction
Series: Territory of the Dead
Tour Promo: All books in this series are $.99!
Available free with Kindle Unlimited.

Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Tabitha Alexander had just graduated from high school when the dead invaded her small town of Pleasant, Louisiana. Working as a checkout girl in the only grocery store in town, she barely made it out with her life.
But the night was only beginning.
What started out as a group of three grows, as they are joined by the few that are still alive. New bonds are formed as old ones die, and Tabitha suddenly finds that the guy she’s always wanted might just want her back.
The timing couldn’t be worse, though. The zombies in Pleasant are smart, with an awareness that’s horrifying. And when the zombies discover the house full of survivors, those inside realize that the walls aren’t strong enough to keep them out.
All hope is lost. Or is it? Salvation comes in the form of a mysterious man, with a pair of steely-gray eyes and an arsenal to match. He rescues them, but at what cost? Kellan can’t seem to keep his otherworldly eyes off of her.
She’s no match for him. She knows this. Yet, he intrigues her… and Tabitha knows it’s the most dangerous reaction of all.

Excerpt:
I exhaled deeply as I finished scanning the last coupon. The woman gave me a sharp look of annoyance, as if I had no room for complaint. Really, what did she expect? Was I supposed to grovel and thank her for allowing me the honor of scanning her precious coupons ten minutes before closing time?
Apparently so. “You know, young lady, it wouldn’t hurt you to smile at your customers and thank them when they offer you their coupons. I don’t think I’ve ever had such poor customer service. I don’t have to shop here, especially with this kind of attitude.” She was working herself up into a rage, her expression full of self-righteous indignation.
I didn’t reply, but instead pushed the total button. Some of the customers in line groaned, while others shifted in impatience. They really didn’t want to be further delayed by her rant. She slammed a hundred dollar bill down on the counter. “Where is your manager? I want to speak with him now.”
I pointed towards Jim, as he straightened his shoulders and attempted to look professional. I could only imagine the holier-than-thou attitude he would have as he sympathetically agreed with her. Around here, I could never do anything right, or so it seemed.
I didn’t see anyone else standing around, though, willing to put up with his crap. If I didn’t need the money so badly, I’d walk out the door faster than he could blink. I was tired of the humiliation and tired of being blamed for the lines, just because he was too tight to hire on adequate staff.
I was silent as I quickly made her change. What could any person say? She was mad due to reasons of her own, something that really didn’t concern me. With one last glare, she huffed and moved on in his direction. She never made it, though.
It would have been worth the complaint and subsequent chewing out I would have received, if the events of the night just wouldn’t have happened. I would later look back on it and pray that things had ended differently. You can’t change events that are completely out of your control, though.
Even so, anything would have been preferable to that one moment when you find your reality has just been blown to pieces and would never be the same again. That’s assuming you live to survive it.
She was halfway to Jim, her teased hairdo bouncing, when it happened. A loud, panicked scream tore through the night, originating somewhere from the parking lot in front of the store. Even through the thick glass, we could hear it loudly. It sounded like someone was being murdered. I immediately stopped scanning, turning in an attempt to see what was happening.
A body slammed against the glass, his face and palms pressed to the surface. It was a horrid sight. His pupils were red and crazed, his face extremely pale and dirty. Dark red blood was smeared across his cheeks and chin. The man stood still for a moment, just watching us with his crazy eyes. Something reanimated him. He slid his palms down the clear, clean glass, leaving a trail of bloody streaks.

My Review:  I loved this book. Gripping. Intense. Emotional. Tabitha life is turned upside down when the zombie apocalypse happens. Now she must learn to survive. 


Buy Link:
Amazon 

About the Author:
Rose Wynters resides in the southern portion of the USA. When not writing, she enjoys traveling, camping, and meeting new people.

Connect With The Author:
Website
Facebook
Twitter 

Giveaway:
Win a $10 Amazon gift card! This giveaway will run 12/30/14 – 1/13/15. Open worldwide! Click here to enter the Rafflecopter.

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My Review Of A Different Kind Of Safari

About the Book

Title: A Different Kind of Safari | Author: Helen C. Hipp | Publication Date: March 19, 2013 | Publisher: A Different Kind of Safari LLC | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 5 to 10

Summary: What do you need to feel happy about being different? Based loosely on real life experiences, this heartwarming and powerful book illustrates how self-awareness, and courage help a young boy named Raymond learn the difference between seeing things as they appear to be and seeing things as they are. Feeling “different and lonely” Raymond befriends a hippo while on Safari in Africa. Unlike other grey hippos, this hippo is pink. Ray is soon carried into a world beyond labels and challenging assumptions. You will never guess what happens next!

Amazon (Hardcover) | Audible (Audiobook) | Barnes and Noble

My Review:  Ray is visiting Africa from a place far away. He talks to a talking hippo named Rosie. Rosie takes Ray on a safari down the river. Ray learns about himself and learns to see things in a new way. Entertaining. Creative. 

The Inspiration Behind the Story by Helen Hipp

Inspired by real-life adventure, the story behind the story unfolded when I went on an African safari back in 2001. The trip was led by my father whose dream was to share the safari experience with his family. Little did I know that this trip was going to incite me to write a children’s adventure book but it did.

The storyline made it appearance when my family spotted a pod of hippos and one was pink! My son Ray fourteen at the time immediately named her “Rosie”. Curious and wanting to learn more about this hippo we asked the guide many questions about hippos and hippo behavior. Specifically I wanted to know why the pink hippo stood so far outside of her pod. The familiarity of the guides answer took me by surprise, he explained that “Rosie” was tolerated but not necessarily accepted by the herd because of her differences. As a parent of a child with special needs I immediately felt a strong affiliation with Rosie’s situation as did my son Ray who has experienced his own challenges with acceptance. Inspired, I decided to share the story with the world by weaving them into a children’s adventure book that celebrates differences. The book is entitled “A Different Kind of Safari”. Find out what you can learn from Rosie the pink hippo, and how you can share those lessons with the children in your life.

Sneak Peek

The Buzz About the Book

“There are several layers to this book as well as significant depth in the underlying messages and lessons. There are many potential points for discussion including Asperger’s syndrome, fear, self-acceptance, tolerance, and more. I highly recommend this great book to children ages 5 to 10.” ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

“A timeless book, that will speak to everyone. To be enjoyed over and over again! A fun, yet very thought provoking story for all ages. If books had a satisfaction guarantee, this one would be on the top of the list. ” ~ 5 Star Review, Adden B. Chrystie, Amazon

“A Different Kind of Safari is truly a different kind of children’s book! The beautiful artwork bring a very special story to life and I am excited the book is now available in audio format for an added bonus while driving kids around town! I particularly love the message of the book, which teaches us to celebrate our unique differences through Rosie the Pink Hippo rather than allow them to keep us from exploring our potentials. I highly recommend this book to all parents and special needs educators in particular. Thank you for writing this wonderful story!” ~ 5 Star Review, missladyjane, Barnes and Noble

“I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were beautiful. I found this book to be very interesting and it was written from real life experiences. A Different Kind of Safari draws you in along with Ray on his journey to find his happiness and the answers to his questions. I recommend this book to children that are of grade school age but yet many younger children may enjoy the illustrations.” ~ 5 Star Review, Whittle House, Goodreads

“The book has a great story. The illustrations are amazing!!!!! Get this book! All children from the young to the old will love this book. ” ~ 5 Star Review, Mel, Amazon

“A Different Kind of Safari is not only a good book, but a great story! It is not only for caregivers, teachers and parents, but for anyone who has ever felt out of place. A pink hippo named “Rosie” and her friend “Ray” take a journey and explore their similarities and differences on the river of life. Self- acceptance and the acceptance of others is exquisitely conveyed in a fresh, FUN way through this sweet tail. It is a prize for all libraries!” ~ 5 Star Review, Anna Wood, Barnes and Noble

About the Author: Helen C. Hipp

Helen Hipp’s experience raising a special needs child led her to an M.A. in clinical psychology and certification as a life coach. She began her career as a psychotherapist to help people find answers for their life problems. Her work eventually evolved into a coaching practice, WithinU Life Coaching, focusing on individuals with special needs and their families. Helen uses her 13+ years of counseling experience and 20+ years’ experience as a successful advocate for individuals with special needs by helping them reveal their innate ability to solve difficult situations. Her debut book ”A Different Kind of Safari” puts into words the essence of Helen’s teachings addressing the many questions life asks by offering up lighthearted, ever-changing perspectives that transform personal challenges into opportunities.

For more information, visit the books official website and to see a picture of the real Rosie the real life pink hippo that inspired this story, go to www.adifferentkindofsafari.com

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