Wayward Magic Anthology

Wayward Magic Anthology

Book Description:

In Hidden Magic, Book I of the Magic Underground anthologies, our heroes faced the seen and unseen in order to save the day. These same characters now find themselves in a continuing world of trouble because as we know, life can be dangerous!

Wayward Magic (Magic Underground Book II) reveals stories of missing people, rescue, and most of all, magic. Our heroes will grapple with magic gone wayward in order to save themselves, their families, and often the world. This collection features:

• Out-of-control magic that could destroy a young apprentice’s master and their world
• A woman’s hidden magic leaving her with more freedom that she wanted
• Sisters at the center of a black magic scandal must stop the city from falling to demons
• Children separated from their mother must escape the castle on the most dangerous night in history
• The ill are suddenly protected from death by an unlikely hero…a teenage physician
• Famine-stricken subjects await precious cargo currently stranded on a ship
• A holy order must save a town from a pretty poison most magical and most deadly
• And more!

Authors in this anthology include: USA Today Bestseller Joynell Schultz, USA Today Bestseller Melinda Kucsera, Seattle Times regional bestseller & multi-international award winner Raven Oak, Tiffany Shand, Alesha Escobar, USA Today Bestseller Lee French & Erik Kort, H.B. Lyne, Anela Deen, Majanka Verstraete, C.K. Rieke, Devorah Fox, Leah W. Van Dinther, C.S. Johnson, Barbara Letson, Toasha Jiordano, Gwendolyn Woodschild, H.M. Jones, Stephen Wallace, AR Johnston, and William C. Cronk.

Purchase on Amazon

My Review:

I'm reviewing The Mail-Order Witch Episode 2 by Joynell Schultz in the second anthology, Wayward Magic. It's a cozy magical mystery about a witch named Ettie who wants to help people. Her husband, Roman, wants to see her succeed and helps her at her store when he has free time. Roman's estranged father recently moved in with them. When there's a hamster infestation at the store, Ettie isn't sure who is behind it, but her father-in-law is among the suspects. He doesn't like magic being flaunted in front of non-magical humans, so there's a good chance that he isn't happy with her selling magical items to the community. There’s a resolution with the hamsters and we learn more about Roman's father, but the mystery regarding the saboteur continues in The Mail-Order Witch Episode 3 in the third anthology, Forgotten Magic.

I'm also reviewing the short narrative serial “The Ones Who Fight” by C.S. Johnson in Wayward Magic. This is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story about a girl named Skyla who lives in a utopian society that is hiding a dark secret. When she learns the horrific truth behind their perfect society, she decides to act. Her friend Aidan has agreed to help her attempt the impossible. Does her action help or destroy the community? The story will continue in “The Ones Who Choose” in Forgotten Magic.

Related Review:
Hidden Magic Anthology

More by Joynell Schultz:

Departing: Earth's Only Hope

Rogue Skies

Validated by Valentine's

About the Author:

Joynell Schultz

Joynell Schultz manages the family zoo (literally!) and writes romantic speculative fiction in her (nearly non-existent) free time. She's a pharmacist by training (boring!) but prefers to hang out with zebras and bears or some imaginary characters.

Website

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Nonfiction by C.S. Johnson:

Should I Go to College?

Good Writing is Like Good Sex

More Books by C.S. Johnson:
Kitsuneko
The Princess and the Peacock
Kingdom of Ash and Soot
Prince of Secrets and Shadows
Night of Blood and Beauty
Beauty's Curse & Beauty's Quest 
Across the Floors of Silent Seas

C.S. Johnson Author Interview

About the Author:

C.S. Johnson

C.S. Johnson is the author of several young adult novels, including sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family.

Website

Disclosure: I received ARCs of both stories. This is my honest and voluntary review.

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Hidden Magic Anthology

Hidden Magic Anthology

Book Description:

No matter the world, life can be dangerous. Be they wizards and shamans, assassins, or everyday people, Hidden Magic tells their stories about escape, consequences, and most of all, magic.

From Earth cities and fantastical new worlds comes a collection of stories where heroes grapple with the seen and unseen in order to save themselves, their families, and often the world. This collection features:

• Elderly antiques experts interacting with souls
• Shamans growing outlawed magic
• Baby chimeras battling for their lives
• Children sprouting fluffy tails
• A king’s boat thrown off-course
• A perfect life coming at a not-so-perfect cost
• Vikings defending a village against the unseen
• A lone shifter atoning for his past mistakes
• Trolls and pixies tumbling through the doorway to another world
• And more!

Authors in this anthology include: USA Today Bestseller Joynell Schultz, USA Today Bestseller Melinda Kucsera, Seattle Times regional bestseller & multi-international award winner Raven Oak, Tiffany Shand, Alesha Escobar, USA Today Bestseller Lee French & Erik Kort, H.B. Lyne, Anela Deen, Majanka Verstraete, C.K. Rieke, Devorah Fox, Leah W. Van Dinther, C.S. Johnson, Barbara Letson, Toasha Jiordano, Gwendolyn Woodschild, H.M. Jones, Stephen Wallace, AR Johnston, and William C. Cronk.

Purchase on Amazon

My Review:

I'm reviewing The Mail-Order Witch Episode 1 in the first anthology, Hidden Magic. It's a cozy magical mystery about a witch named Ettie who wants to help people, but she's finding it hard to be accepted in the community. Her husband, Roman, wants to see her succeed and purchases a store for her, which she names Ettie’s Enchanted Effects. There's a religious lady who looks after the church across from Ettie's store who is prejudiced against magical people. Things only get harder when an entire class of second-graders sprout tails and she gets blamed. There’s a bit of a resolution, but the mystery continues in The Mail-Order Witch Episode 2 in the second anthology, Wayward Magic.

I'm also reviewing the short narrative serial “The Ones Who See” by C.S. Johnson in Hidden Magic. This is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story about a utopian society that is hiding a dark secret. There’s a girl named Skyla who is in the process of saying goodbye to her childhood and embracing her new status as a contributing community member. However, the young man that Skyla likes wants her to see what the community has been hiding. What she sees is so disturbing that she makes a resolution to fight for change. The story will continue in “The Ones Who Fight” in Wayward Magic.

More by Joynell Schultz:

Departing: Earth's Only Hope

Rogue Skies

Validated by Valentine's

About the Author:

Joynell Schultz

Joynell Schultz manages the family zoo (literally!) and writes romantic speculative fiction in her (nearly non-existent) free time. She's a pharmacist by training (boring!) but prefers to hang out with zebras and bears or some imaginary characters.

Website

**********************

Nonfiction by C.S. Johnson:

Should I Go to College?

Good Writing is Like Good Sex

More Books by C.S. Johnson:
Kitsuneko
The Princess and the Peacock
Kingdom of Ash and Soot
Prince of Secrets and Shadows
Night of Blood and Beauty
Beauty's Curse & Beauty's Quest 
Across the Floors of Silent Seas

C.S. Johnson Author Interview

About the Author:

C.S. Johnson

C.S. Johnson is the author of several young adult novels, including sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family.

Website

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Yumi's Extraordinary Collection

About the Book:

Title: Yumi's Extraordinary Collection | Author: Elsa Takaoka | Illustrator: Catherine Toennisson | Pages: 38 | Recommended Age: 6 - 9

Book Description:

Yumi's Extraordinary Collection is the story of Yumi who was born into a family of collectors who pride themselves with their eccentric and wacky collections. The long line of proud collectors grows and grows until… she comes along. The bond between one generation of collectors and the next takes an unexpected twist with the birth of Yumi, who unlike the rest was not born a natural collector. She is determined to find not just any collection but a truly extraordinary collection. With help from her grandmother, Yumi learns that the greatest things of all.. are not things at all!

Purchase on Amazon:

Kindle | Paperback

My Review:

Amanda and I were thrilled to receive a new picture book from one of our favorite Indie authors, Elsa Takaoka and her amazing illustrator, Catherine Toenisson. These two have been a dynamic team and I hope to see more from them! The book that Elsa gave us is Yumi's Extraordinary Collection. It's the first time she wrote a multicultural story and for an older age group. The recommended age on Amazon is 6 to 9, but my 16-year-old was drawn to the book and read it for herself!

Amanda and I really enjoyed the story. I think it's cleverly written with just the right amount of wonder and discovery. Amanda learned a few new words like porcelain and kimono. This story teaches the value of family, multi-generations and being yourself. I highly recommend it for all children.

My Previous Book Reviews

of Elsa Takaoka's children's books:

Goo and Spot: Under

the Orange Tree

Goo and Spot in the

Do Not Wiggle Riddle

and

A Moat is Not a Goat

About the Author:

Elsa Takaoka

Budding author Elsa Takaoka puts her pen to paper and creates a fun and heart-warming story. Spinning words with natural creativity, Elsa discovered her love of language at a very early age. She then pursued a career in Speech Language Pathology and English as a Second Language until the birth of her first daughter. Reading to her own little girls sparked her whimsical journey through children’s literature. Her dream to write and publish a picture book was achieved with Goo and Spot and The Do Not Wiggle Riddle, the first in the Goo and Spot book series.

Currently, Elsa lives in Fukuoka, Japan with her sources of inspiration- her loving husband and their two adorable little girls.

Author Website * Facebook * Twitter * Google+

About the Illustrator:

Catherine Toennisson

Catherine grew up alongside her twin sister in the small city of Norris Tennessee. Together they climbed trees, and waded through creeks in search of frogs and fairies. Her love of nature and whimsy came with her when she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend The Art Insistute. Graduating with honors, and a Bachelor's of Fine arts in Media arts and Animation. She continued into her career, working as a storyboard revisionist for Big Idea Entertainment, and then into freelance. Illustrating a series of children's books written by Elsa Takaoka. Currently she's writing her own books, and working late nights in her home studio. In her free time she enjoys doll making, watching Ghibli films, swimming, and can never pass up a good cup of coffee, or a stroll through the woods.

Visit her website: Painted Deer

Disclosure: Amanda and I received this new picture book as a gift and we were not asked to do anything in return. I chose to do this review because I wanted to.

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Happy UK Mother's Day with Free eBook!

Happy UK Mother's Day

and a Free eBook!

I saw that there was a Mother's Day picture book for free on Amazon Kindle. I thought that sharing this free eBook with you would be a lovely way to wish all the UK mums a Happy Mother's Day! I haven't read the book yet, but I noticed it had a lot of text, so I think it would probably be appropriate for kids ages 4 - 9.

The Mother's Day Gift

About the Book:

Title: The Mother's Day Gift | Author: Bea Balint | Publisher: Busy Bees | Pages: 34 | Genre: Children's Picture Book | Recommended Age: 3 - 10

Excerpt from the Book:

"The sleepy sun was peeking out from her favourite cozy shelter just behind the little hill, where the Noisy Farm was living its jolly life. Today everyone was rising with the sun, because this was quite a special day. Bees were working hard, flying from flower to flower; the carol of larks echoed far in the forests.
‘Mother- Mother-Mother’s Day’ – sounded the chirping birds. This is a special day, because tomorrow is Mother’s day. The day when you thank your Mother all the good and wonderful things, the love and care she spoiled you with throughout your entire life. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so today is the best opportunity to prepare presents.
Kate, the beautiful, spotted ladybug got up unusually early, exactly at sunrise. She was looking forward to this day for a long time, because her mum is the best mother in the whole world and she wanted to surprise her with something truly special."

FREE on Amazon Kindle:

The Mother's Day Gift

Disclosure: I have not read this book. This is not a review.

Please Note: The eBook was for free on Amazon Kindle at the time of posting. Prices may change.

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YooHoo and Friends from the Green Kids Club

YooHoo and Friends

from the

Green Kids Club

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on the images to see them at their best.

How it all began...

Sylvia Medina is someone who is passionate about the environment and the animals that live in this world. As a youngster she loved to hike and enjoy the wilderness and especially loved animals. She took this passion and dedicated herself to becoming an Environmental Engineer where she could help make a difference.

Another passion Sylvia found was children! When her twins were born she knew she wanted to instill in them the passion of being stewards of our environment. So when Sylvia's twins were infants - she found herself watching television shows for kids. This made her realize that there were few programs about environmental stewardship and endangered species preservation for children. So one early morning - about 1:30 am - while rocking her baby girl to sleep she came up with the idea of creating stories and products that teach children about the environment and the world around them. So the Green Kids Club was created.

Purchase from the

Green Kids Store:

YooHoo and Friends

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Pammee and the Looking Pond

Our Review of Pammee

and the Looking Pond:

Pammee and the Looking Pond was Amanda's favorite book in the YooHoo and Friends series. Pammee is an adorable fennec fox who loves looking at her reflection in the looking pond. However, she gets a fright when her reflection is distorted. What could the problem be? Pammee has a friend named Maya who helps her solve the case. At the end of the story are some fun facts about the fennec fox and tips on how to save our water. I highly recommend this picture book for kids ages 4 - 8.

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Sparkee and the Stinky Treasure

Our Review of Sparkee

and the Stinky Treasure:

Sparkee and the Stinky Treasure was Amanda's second favorite book in the YooHoo and Friends series. The illustrations are bright and friendly and the characters are adorable. Sparkee is a skunk and his friend Lemmee is a lemur. They meet up with their friend Tiago.

There is a mysterious bad smell that gets blamed on Sparkee, but then Tiago and Lemmee go investigate where the smell is coming from. Follow their adventure and learn some fun facts about skunks and help prevent pollution. I highly recommend this picture book for kids ages 4 - 8.

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YooHoo's Swimming Trip

Our Review of YooHoo's

Swimming Trip:

Amanda enjoyed the adventure story of YooHoo's Swimming Trip. YooHoo is a bush baby and his friend's name is Victor. They want to go swimming, but discover that the river is drying up. Where is the water going? Can they save the fish in time? Follow their adventure and learn some fun facts about bush babies. Also, learn about water and how to save and care for this natural resource of ours. I highly recommend this picture book for kids ages 4 - 8.

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YooHoo and Friends

Green Kids Club

*************************

About the Author:

Sylvia Medina

Role in Green Kids:

•President and Founder of Green Kids Club, Inc.
•Primary Author, Creative Director
•Environmental Engineer & Scientist

Sylvia is the President and Creative Director of the Green Kids Club. She has spent her career focused on environmental issues and helping to preserve animal welfare.

When she had twins, she became aware that she truly wanted her children to grow up with an environmental conscience and an understand the basics of environmental stewardship. With this in mind, she developed the Green Kids Club concept which would help her children as well as other children around the world learn early the environmental habits they could share with others.

Disclosure: We received free copies of these books for our honest review.

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Two CIA Novellas with Agent Lucy James by DJ Erfert

Window of Secrets

by DJ Erfert

About the Book:

Title: Window of Secrets | Author: DJ Erfert | Pages: 56 | Genre: Paranormal Suspense | Age Level: Young Adult

Book Description:

CIA courier Lucy James never gets used to seeing innocent people killed, but she copes with it—every day. Cursed with the ability to glimpse into the future when a death is about to happen, she has a short window of time to interfere—risking her life in order to change it.

A hot guy, a hot desert, and abducted teenaged girls spin CIA agent Lucy James’ simple mission to Peru into a deadly game of hide and seek.

Purchase on Amazon

Kindle

My Review

Window of Secrets is the prequel to Window of Time (Book 1). It can be read first or second. Agent Lucy James sees something happen while she's collecting a package for the CIA and decides to take on a mission that wasn't assigned to anyone. She is willing to go alone, but the handsome agent whom she had to meet up with in Peru decides to join her.

Debra brings to light the evil world of human trafficking in this fast paced novella. It is a topic close to my heart. I'm glad that Agent Lucy James gets involved, even if it is only in fiction. Hopefully, she'll be able to inspire more people to get involved for real.

A Deadly Glimpse

by DJ Erfert

About the Book:

Title: A Deadly Glimpse | Author: DJ Erfert | Pages: 34 | Genre: Paranormal Suspense | Age Level: Young Adult

Book Description:

CIA Agent Lucy James’s undercover reentry into the US doesn’t go as planned. The human coyote smuggling her and more than a dozen illegal aliens across the southern border into Arizona abandons them. Their group scatters. Ruthless border bandits methodically track and kill the illegals for the contraband-filled backpacks each man carries. With the help of two USBP agents who rescue her, she must stop the bandits from continuing their murder spree, and find the missing backpacks containing the deadly packages before the US has its first mass terrorist attack since 9-11.

Purchase on Amazon

Kindle

My Review

A Deadly Glimpse: A Lucy James CIA Novella is really not a novella, but a short story. It's actually the first 4 chapters of Window of Death (Book 2) and follows straight after Window of Time (Book 1). The books that I have read in this series have been fast paced, but this one felt a bit rushed. It could use some more developing. It's still a fun story. Agent Lucy James is always on an intriguing adventure. You can purchase the full eBook on Amazon: Window of Death.

About the Author:

DJ (Debra) Erfert

While growing up, going to libraries felt like an adventure filled with mystery and wonder to Debra. The hushed tones invoked secrets, and the dusty, sometimes moldy, smell of paper was the same in each city she lived. Leaving the library with just a single book never happened. Years later, her love of reading turned to a passion for writing stories others might enjoy. She’s an award winning fine artist who lives in a southwest Arizona city with her husband, a retired police lieutenant, where the average summer temperatures are well above 100 degrees--truly hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of both books for my honest review.

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Talon, Come Fly With Me

Talon, Come Fly With Me

Book 1 in the TALON Series

by Gigi Sedlmayer

About the Book:

Title: Talon, Come Fly With Me (Book 1 in the TALON series) | Author: Gigi Sedlmayer | Publisher: Aurora House | Pages: 238 | Genre: Children's Adventure/Survival Story

Book Description:

Nine-year-old Matica lives in a remote little village on a dry plateau in the Andes of Peru. She moved to Peru when she was five with her Australian missionary and schoolteacher parents. Because Matica is trapped in the body of a two year old, her growth handicap has caused her to be rejected by the local people and they would not accept her into their community or allow her to play with the children.

With patience and a sense of adventure Matica befriends a pair of condors. A strong bond and love develops between them.

Matica rescues the egg the condors, Tamo and Tima, are trying to protect from poachers and nurtures it to hatching. The egg hatches on her tenth birthday and she names the new fledging Talon.

Many adventures unfold, including her finally being accepted into the local community.

This is the beginning of many incredible adventures with Talon and Matica. It is a story of hope, determination and love.

Purchase on Amazon:

Paperback | Kindle | The Talon Series

My Review

Gigi effectively creates a blend of reality and fiction with her first book in the TALON series. Set in Peru, we learn facts about the country and its people, as well as information about the endangered condors, with a good amount of fantasy included. Gigi successfully mixes facts with fiction in a believable way, which allows children to learn while they imagine and dream.

Meet Matica, a girl with a growth handicap who has been rejected by the people her missionary parents are serving. Come away to her world where she finds friends in the condors and learns to not only accept her handicap, but also to celebrate it. In the process, she also learns to forgive.

Talon, Come Fly With Me, is a story that will touch the hearts and minds of parents and their children. It takes us back to living simply, enjoying nature and caring for wildlife. It reminds us to be kind and to accept people's differences. It also reminds us that we learn through experiences and that telling and listening to life stories is part of learning too.

About the Author:

Gigi Sedlmayer

Gisela (Gigi) Sedlmayer was born on 19 May 1944 in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany.

Her family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up. They moved around in Germany, wherever her dad got work. That meant she had to change schools 9 times! In the end she stopped making friends for fear that she would lose them again.

Finally they settled in Munich where Gigi studied architectural drafting and met Albert in 1965, marrying in December 1967. She worked as a civil draftsperson in various private consultancies in Munich.

Since her uncle was a writer, she tried to write short animal stories herself. Nothing further came of it, but she developed a love for the written word and started to consume books.

In May 1975, Gigi and her husband moved to New Zealand. Because of language challenges, she started a handcraft business. As a specialty, she made colourful parrots in several sizes of which she sold thousands in a few years.

In 1988, they decided to adopt and became adoptive parents of twin girls the year after. They lived in New Zealand for eighteen years and moved to Australia in September 1992.

Two years later Gigi was diagnosed with cancer. After operations and radiation, she withdrew, thinking that she would probably soon be dead, like her friend who died of cancer, but her two little girls gave her the courage to keep going. After a few years, still among the living, her brain started to work again, so she thought, 'Get a grip on yourself and do something good with your life'.

She remembered the time she wrote short stories and got inspired again, seeing her husband Albert writing the story of their adoption. Her English became increasingly better so she pressed on to develop her creative writing.

Albert taught her how to use a computer and she wrote many short stories. She entered them in competitions and often got very good reports back, which gave her confidence to go on writing. One day the idea for the TALON series came to her and she spent the next several years bringing the story and the characters to life.

She now loves writing and spends most of her time at the computer, developing new story lines. She also loves travelling, 4x4 touring, swimming, gardening, handcrafting, reading, fossicking and enjoys good adventure DVD's or going to the movies.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book for my honest review.

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BookElves Anthology: Volume 2

BookElves Anthology: Volume 2

Book Blast with a $25 Giveaway!

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

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

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

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

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

Annaliese Matheron

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

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

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.

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The Berenstain Bears Book Review

Choosing the Theme

Since it is autumn for the majority of my blogging friends, I decided to do a book review with a theme around bears. I had bears on my mind, because it will soon be time for them to hibernate and also because of the winter blanket that has pictures of cute teddy bears that my mom sent from the States to the kids a few years ago.

Choosing the Book

I borrowed three different children’s bear books from the library, all from different authors and read them to Amanda. Her favorite one was The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Creating the Scene

We created the scene for this book review by putting together a teddy bear picnic. We grabbed all the teddy bears from her stuffed animal bag. It was a fun discovery adding bear after bear to the pile. I don’t think either of us realized how many bears she owns, which includes those passed down from her sisters. Then we arranged our picnic. She helped set the table and arrange the bears with the winter blanket in the background.

In the final photo, she chose her favorite bear for the day. The funny thing is that she doesn’t have a special toy, doll, stuffed animal or book. Her favorite things change from day to day. The bear she chose is appropriate when you add the Teddy Bears' Picnic song to the mix with these lyrics, “At six o'clock their Mommies and Daddies will take them home to bed 'cause they're tired little Teddy Bears.”

I checked out several YouTube versions of this song with Amanda and finally decided on this one, because it’s short and peppy. My mother-in-law used to sing it to Jeremiah when he would fuss as a toddler and it often helped to calm him down.

About the Story

Have you ever had too much vacation where you wished that it would come to an end? That is the situation for this family of bears. Their vacation is seemingly ruined by a series of events. One thing that made this holiday particularly unpleasant was the rain. When I got to this part of the story, Amanda asked, “Mommy, how come they didn’t look in the news and they didn’t know?” She knows that her daddy often checks on the internet to see what kind of weather we’ll be having, so that we can plan around it.

Who doesn’t take a camera with on vacation? This bear family takes pictures of their experiences. Amanda’s favorite part of the story is when Papa bear gets swept out of the rented cottage from the flooding caused by the rain. I think she found many of the misadventures humorous. Their holiday photos later bring them lots of laughs. They learn that the worst vacation can be the best of all. I think it’s a good lesson to learn, because things don’t always go our way and we need to be able to take the good with the bad.

Below is a summary of interesting facts from Wikipedia:

Stanley Berenstain and Janice Grant met in 1941 on their first day of drawing class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, where they formed an immediate bond. They were separated during World War II, later reunited and wed in 1946. Since the 1962 debut of the first Berenstain Bears book, The Big Honey Hunt, the series has grown to over 300 titles and has also expanded well beyond the books, including two television series.

The Berenstain Bears website is celebrating their 50th Anniversary of when it all began. Visit their site for coloring pages and more.

I'll be posting more photos of

our new kitty later today on my

Picture Perfect Party Linky blog hop.

I have a "Pin it" button on my sidebar so you can

pin any favorite images to your Pinterest boards.

You might like to read my post "Thrown Away" about a teddy bear

that gets thrown out, because the spoiled child doesn't want it.

The book is called Throwaway Bear and would make a great

Christmas present for children.

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