Books and Broomsticks: June 2017

28 June 2017

Review & Giveaway of SIR KAY THE BOY KNIGHT

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THE ELDRIDGE CONSPIRACY

Sir Kaye the Boy Knight, Book 4

Don M. Winn

Genre: Children’s Chapter Book / Adventure / Medieval

Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press

Date of Publication: June 16, 2017

Number of Pages: 166, B&W illustrations

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Kaye’s father is in danger! The young knight, Kaye, and his friends Reggie and Beau enter Eldridge in search of the only man who can save Kaye's father. During their journey, they encounter and make a powerful enemy of Baron Thomas—the self-proclaimed heir to the throne of Eldridge—who also has his sights set on ruling the country of Knox. Together, the boys dodge the baron’s henchmen and race against time to stop an assassination that would plunge the two kingdoms into war in this exciting conclusion to the series.

PRAISE FOR THE ELDRIDGE CONSPIRACY:

"This set of books just gets better and better. Yes, it’s a non-stop adventure, packed full of nasty barons and battling knights. But it’s also a story which is strongly-themed and where the bond between the characters is highly prized."

—The Wishing Shelf Awards Book Review

“Books of adventure and challenge that still offer an emotional component are hard to come by for middle-grade readers—and even more so for middle-grade boys—yet Don M. Winn hits the mark dead center with The Eldridge Conspiracy.”

—Patricia Reding, 5-Star Readers’ Favorite Book Review

“This is more than just a fictional story; it teaches children about life, about friendship, making decisions, and about not putting too much stock in pride all the time – sometimes pride gets in the way of making the right decision. Great story. I would recommend that the whole series be read in order to get the most out of it and I think all kids will enjoy this tale.”

—Ann-Marie Reynolds, 5-Star Readers’ Favorite Book Review

“The Eldridge Conspiracy was a rewarding read due to a wonderful writing style of incorporating dynamic characters, humor, relevancy, and the thought that even without superpowers, children can be heroes.”

—Stacey Waltzer, Urban Mommies

PURCHASE LINKS:

WEBSITE AMAZON B&N PUBLISHER: SIGNED COPIES

It’s that time of the year when summertime conjures up magical days of make-believe and moments perfect for daydreams. As a child, and even now as an adult, I was (and still am) an avid daydreamer. As a person who majored in English Literature, I’m a sucker for a story about brave knights and tales of adventure.

Well, this chapter book fit the bill for both my past and present selves. And I had the wonderful opportunity of reviewing such a book during my favorite time of the year: summer, when it seems the magic of the golden sunshine can turn a story in the pages of a book into a real-life adventure.

This charming chapter book is told from the point of view of Reggie, a dyslexic boy who wants nothing more than to be a writer of chronicles despite his learning difference. Through Reggie’s eyes, we see the story unfold of how a group of friends can band together to fight even the most menacing of foes to save their king and country from being overthrown by a treasonous baron.

Within the pages of this book, young readers will discover adventure, mystery, loyalty, and friendship. There’s something in this book for every reader. There are brave knights, both young and adult, there are castles, ships, horses, abbeys, and midnight escapes from blundering bad guys.

What I really loved (besides the awesome, swash-buckling story) was that there are lovely illustrations throughout the book, placed almost strategically to give young readers a chance to pause reading and reinforce the story with some visual imagery. Fantastic, I tell ya!

When I was a kid, I would have loved reading this book. I won’t give away (too many) spoilers here, because this book deserves to be devoured like a delicious piece of cake.

Needless to say, this book has a satisfying ending. And, no, I won’t tell you how it ends. You’ll have to discover it by yourself.

What I will tell you is this- the author dedicates this book to all dyslexic and struggling readers. That endeared me immediately to this book and this author. Follow this blog tour and discover the study guide that goes along with this book. You won’t regret it!

I encourage readers of all ages and reading levels to grab a copy of this book for summer reading. And grab a copy for a friend while you’re at it. Also, don’t forget that you can scroll down for a chance to ENTER TO WIN a copy of Sir Kay The Boy Knight!

Henceforth, I hereby knight this book with

5 Gleaming Illustrious Brooms!

Don M. Winn is a multiple award-winning children’s author of eleven picture books and four children's novels. His Sir Kaye the Boy Knight® series of novels for independent readers include The Knighting of Sir Kaye, The Lost Castle Treasure, Legend of the Forest Beast, and The Eldridge Conspiracy. Don's picture books include The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon; Superhero; Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge; Shelby the Cat; Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy; and many others.

Don has been writing for over 20 years. After beginning with poetry, Winn moved on to writing children’s picture books. Almost immediately, his growing young readers begged for chapter books, which led to the creation of the Sir Kaye series. As a dyslexic, who well knows the challenge of learning to love to read, Winn's goal is to write books that are so engaging they will entice even the most reluctant or struggling reader. Winn lives in Round Rock, Texas.

WEBSITE AUTHOR FACEBOOK SIR KAYE FACEBOOK

YOUTUBE TWITTER LINKEDIN GOODREADS

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Three Sir Kaye #4 ARCs + 1 Sir Kaye Series Study Guide!

(US ONLY)

June 14-June 28, 2017

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

6/14	Book Trailer	Chapter Break Book Blog
6/15	Review	Margie's Must Reads
6/16	Guest Post 1	Books in the Garden
6/17	Review	The Page Unbound
6/18	Author Interview	My Book Fix Blog
6/19	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
6/20	Review	Reading By Moonlight
6/21	Scrapbook Page 1	Syd Savvy
6/22	Guest Post 2	Forgotten Winds
6/23	Review	Hall Ways Blog
6/24	Character Interview	Missus Gonzo
6/25	Educators' Special	The Librarian Talks
6/26	Review	CGB Blog Tours
6/27	Scrapbook Page 2	Texas Book Lover
6/28	Review	Books and Broomsticks

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23 June 2017

Take Your Dog to Work Day

I take Sascha Marie to work with me every day. She also oversees my writing and herds me into my writing cave.

Sometimes, she stares out the window while gathering her thoughts. It's helpful when working out the details of writing a difficult scene or killing off a character.

She's my design partner at Star elearning. She has lots of experience in creating interactive eLearning modules for our clients.

When she's not herding me into the office, she's stealing my chair so she can post on her Facebook page.

Sascha Marie says: "Give us a shout if you need your costly instructor led training courses converted into money-saving eLearning modules!"

Did you take your dog to work today? Post in the comments and let us know!

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20 June 2017

GIVEAWAY & Author Interview UNDER A SUMMER SKY by Melody Carleson

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UNDER A SUMMER SKY

Follow Your Heart, Book 3

Melody Carlson

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Christian / Inspirational

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: June 6, 2017

Number of Pages: 320

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High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn’t long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who’s determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of her childhood friends—who also happen to be brothers—vying for her attention.

With the backdrop of a gorgeous historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen!

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites you to spend the summer surrounded by splendor . . . and tantalizing possibilities.

PRAISE FOR THE FOLLOW YOUR HEART SERIES:

“Heartwarming and uplifting.”—Library Journal on Once Upon a Summertime

“Sweet, romantic, and endlessly entertaining.”—Radiant Lit on Once Upon a Summertime

“This winsome romance [is] a perfect summer read.”—Publishers Weekly on All Summer Long

PURCHASE LINKS:

BAKER BOOK HOUSE AMAZON CHRISTIANBOOK.COM

iBOOKS KOBO LIFEWAY BARNES & NOBLE

Where did your love of writing come from?

I’ve always loved a good story—whether I was telling it myself or hearing it from another source. From an early age I was both an avid reader and eager writer. Although writing came easily to me (gifts are like that) I never took my storytelling skills seriously. I believed that an ‘author’ was someone else, someone important and brilliant with leather patches on their wool tweed jacket—not an ordinary person like me. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I decided to get serious about writing and publishing my stories.

How long have you been writing?

As mentioned in the previous question, I’ve been writing for most of my life. As soon as I could write words, I was creating stories and making them into little homemade books. Every time I got the opportunity to write, I’d eagerly take it. I was the editor of my grade-school newspaper; wrote and directed plays in junior high; and took as many writing classes in high school and college as I could cram in. In my adult life I continued to journal, write letters, contribute opinion newspaper pieces, create poetry . . . and just generally write whenever I could. It was simply part of who I was, but I still didn’t consider myself an ‘author.’

What do you think most characterizes your writing?

I’d like to think it’s creating realistic characters with realistic problems that pull in a reader and compel them to come along. I also like to toss in a dollop of grace along the way—people facing challenges and troubles usually need that. Stories are such a great vehicle for exploring “real” life from the comfort of an easy chair. I like showing why people do the things they do—whether good or bad. And I love inviting the reader to ‘ride along’ with me and hopefully glean some fresh insight during the trip.

What did you enjoy about writing this book?

I always love a story where my heroine gets a chance to reinvent herself and get a fresh start at a different sort of life. And I love transporting character to a new and interesting locale—a place where they can explore and discover all the delights of their new habitat. Savannah Georgia offered a beautiful setting to ‘play’ in. I loved researching all the many interests this beautiful old city had to offer.

What did you find most useful in learning to write for publication? What was least useful or most destructive?

When I first started to write, I really didn’t understand the publishing world. Why would they contract certain books (that I might not have liked so well) but they would decline others (that I felt were good). It made no sense to me. So when I got the opportunity to work at a publishing house, I gladly dove in. I worked there for less than three years, but it was an ‘education’ that even twenty years later, I’m still truly grateful for. The least useful ‘advice’ I ever got in regard to publishing was well-meaning friends who told me (early on) that it was ‘impossible to publish a book.’ After publishing more than 200 books, I think I proved them wrong.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

I’ve been a full-time writer for the past twenty years. I’d have to be in order to produce so many books! Although my writing schedule has lightened some these past couple of years (something I’m thankful for) I still consider writing to be my ‘full-time’ job—and I have a private studio where I go to work. And because I’m write on such a regular basis, I think it forces me to be more disciplined and hopefully it’s helped me to improve my craft.

What are some day jobs that you have held? Have any of them impacted your writing?

I’ve had some pretty varied jobs and life experiences. I taught pre-school for a number of years. I ran my own daycare business for a few years. I worked for an interior design firm for a short while—which made me realize that although I love design, I would not want that for a fulltime job. I also had an interesting job with an international adoption agency. My last job was as a senior editor for a major Christian publishing company. I feel that all these occupations have added to my writing

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than 6.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and the contemporary romances Once Upon a Summertime and All Summer Long. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon.

WEBSITE FACEBOOK EMAIL MYSPACE

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Grand Prize:

Print copies of the three books in the Follow Your Heart series, Thanks You’re A Peach Tea Gift Tin,12x18 Savannah travel poster, & Georgia Peach Cookies Tin

1^st Runner-Up: Full series + $15 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

2^nd Runner-Up: Full Series + $10 Starbucks Gift Card

June 17-26, 2017

(U.S. Only)