The Magical Tarot Deck penned by the author Marieke Lexmond is a fantasy novel. It is the second installment in The Madigan Chronicles series. Madigan is a family of witches. Story started with Ceri Madigan (Tara’s youngest daughter) stuck in Fairy. She was shocked to know that her mother Tara has a twin sister Lucy who is evil and therefore is banned from the family. When Lucy was in a fight with other Madigans in Boston, a Dagger of Consciousness was taken away from her and it was hidden in Seamus’ Magical Tarot Deck.
The battle between Lucy and Tara started when Lucy learnt that Tara would become the guardian of the Wand of Wisdom. When someone draws a card from the Deck, the person painted on the card disappears from real life till they fulfill the question of the querent. Lucy went to the Fairy thinking that Tara might have hidden the dagger there. In Utah, Cal, Lucy’s grandson is worried about the whereabouts of his grandma. Lucy is with Ceri at the Fairy and she tells her about the stories from the past. What is gonna happen when Emily loses the Magical Tarot Deck?
This story is intriguing and can be read as a standalone. However, if you read it as part of the series, you will enjoy it more. Cover photo of the book is nice and the plot is written well. I am impressed with the author’s writing style. Pace of the story is fast and I didn’t feel bored anytime while reading this story. Fans of fantasy stories couldn’t miss to grab this book.
Recently, I read the book SPLITTING UP without falling to pieces penned by the author Jan Kaa Kristensen who is also the former leader of the divorce division of the Center for Family Development. All marriages don’t last forever. Approximately, half of the couples get divorced and sometimes the divorce ends in conflict or major conflict.
The fictional stories written in this book are inspired from the real ones and they made this book more interesting to read. The author has given various tips in this book like taking care of yourself, taking support and help from your network, creating new relationships, giving emotional support to children, etc. These tips will make taking care of children after divorce easier.
This book is for divorced parents who are struggling to create a working relationship for the benefit of their children. The main message that this book wants to give to the divorced parents is to take care of themselves so they can be a good parent to their children and also get along well with their co-parent. It’s a great book that guides parents who are splitting up to go through divorce well without falling apart.
There are thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter. It is an engaging read. Writing style of the author is amazing. Cover photo is nice. Go ahead with this book without thinking twice.
“On the Trail of the Wind’s Tears” penned by the author Lynne Armstrong Jones is a sequel to “On the Trail of the Ruthless Warlock”. Joul and Nico fought the enemies at the kingdom’s border. Joul returned to Espri but Nico was injured. Later while traveling with other injured warriors, they stopped in the town of Edgewood for some drinks.
Nico had too many drinks and when he woke up, he realized he was in some female’s room. In Espri, Nico’s wife Veras received a note saying that her husband has been with a serving woman for several days. Veras was concerned about her husband. Also, she wanted to tell him about her pregnancy. But as soon as Nico returned to Espri, Veras felt the tears in the wind. They were of a dying witch who is sending a message for help to protect the Great EastWood and nearby areas.
Cover photo of the book looks nice. The title is suitable. Even though this is a part of the series, one could enjoy it as a standalone also. I appreciate the way Lynne has focused on several topics in this story, especially the relationship between a husband and wife. All the characters are nicely written. This is a gripping story and I enjoyed every bit of it. Don’t miss to get your hands on this amazing book.
“Mimi the Uni-Raffe” is a Children’s Book written by the author Kristin Krajewski and illustrated by Michelle Jefferson. Mimi is a daughter of the mother and father unicorn. Mimi was born a unicorn with a stripe. As she grew up, she had stripes all over her body thereby making her look like a zebra. Other unicorns thought Mimi was strange so they teased her and didn’t include her while playing. Read this book to know what is gonna happen when Mimi sets out on a journey to find acceptance.
This is a wonderful story that I like to recommend not only to little readers but to adults as well. Cover photo of the book looks nice. Story is well written and I enjoyed reading it. Language used in the book is lucid so kids would be able to understand it easily. Illustrations are beautiful and will catch a kid’s attention in the first look.
I love reading romance novels. Recently I got my hands on Soul Elements: The Fiery Lake penned by the author Lisa McNeil. Main characters of the story are Aiden and Ebony.
Ebony is independent. She studies part time and also works at the bookstore so she could pay her bills without taking any help from her parents. On the other hand, Aiden lost his parents at the age of three. He was placed into the foster system and was adopted by irresponsible parents. As he finished school, he moved out of that house. He started his small business and with hard work, his business reached greater heights. Before meeting Ebony, an aqua blue-eyed girl came to his dreams many times. When Aiden and Ebony met, they felt an electric spark. Both fell for each other. Soon, they met again and fixed a dinner date. How close will they get?
Read this story and I am sure you will crave for such a spark with someone in your life. Being a person who loves books, I loved the bookstore part of the story also. The author has done a great job in writing the characters. Narration is smooth and the plot is gripping. Once you start reading this book, you can’t put it aside. Readers who love romance novels should go ahead with this without thinking twice.
Our Fun Day at the Zoo written by the author Anisa Crespo is the first installment in The Epic Adventures of Gio and Via. The story is about a twin brother and sister Gio and Via who visited the zoo with their mom. At the zoo, they saw many animals like giraffes, bears, monkeys, etc. Read this book to know how the kids enjoyed the zoo.
Illustrations are pretty. The title of the book couldn’t have been more appropriate. Cover photo is eye-catching. This book will make kids excited for a visit to the zoo. It is a short and quick read. A great story for bedtime reading. Siblings could read it together for more fun. If your kid loves adventures then go ahead and buy this book for your little one.
Book: The Benefits Of The “Ex”: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
June Dillinger is an Inspirational Speaker and Life Facilitator whose gifts lie in her ability to guide others so that they can live abundantly and be happy. Adopt- ed at birth she grew up in La Jolla, California, where she was cherished by her parents, a physical therapist who met her physician father when he was being treated for his paraplegia. Even though that family dissolved, through divorce and remarriage, through birth and life and death, June’s extended and expanded families have enriched her understanding of the dynamics of love. June has been blessed with the ability to see the true inner beauty of the human spirit, despite outer appearances. June moved to Hawaii and has resided on Oahu for over 30 years. Hosting the television show “It’s All About Love,” has allowed her to interview a multitude of inspiring thought-leaders over the years. As a presenter, she is able to captivate audiences with her unique background and inviting message for all ages. Her uplifting message transcends the static of our digital age and rises over the roar of the crowd. Her topics tug on the heart- strings of the human condition by speaking directly to the emotional well-being of her audience members. Her heartfelt stories and wisdom are grounded in the fact that we must face our own connections with each other, with the divine, and most importantly within ourselves. Self-Love is slowly diminishing in our Western culture and June is on a mission to change that. Her book “The Benefit of the Ex” teaches us how to remember to let go of the past, and that every- thing in life–good and bad– is setting us up for our own comeback story.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Benefits of the “Ex”: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes’ book?
Several things became challenging during the coarse of writing this book. First, the pressure I received from people over the LONG 14 years to hurry up and complete it. I knew there was a message and I also knew it had to be clear in order for people to grow if they were to pick up my book. I waited life out as the book unfolded within me so I could share in a way that would be uncomplicated and useful at the same time. Part of the struggle was having created 3 different manuscripts over time, lead me to blend and create what the book is today and this was no easy task at all.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Self-help books have always been a go to for me. In no particular order a few of my most favorite and impactful, in no particular order…
1. Teach Only Love by Jerry Jampolsky
2. Real Love by Greg Baer 3. The Values Factor by Dr. John Demartini 4. Hard Optimism by Price Pritchett 5. Awareness by Anthony De Mello 6. Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth 7. Way Of The Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman 8. Get Happier & Heathier Now by Ell Graniel 9. Way of Mastery by Jeshua ben Joseph
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
La Jolla, California is my favorite place to visit. I grew up there on Mt. Soledad and have so many childhood memories.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
No. Let the book come to you, the rest will follow as it needs to. Allowing the ideas to flow so what is coming through your exposes itself to be what you are desiring to create.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Benefits of the “Ex”: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes’ book?
14 years
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Benefits of the “Ex”: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes’ book to buy?
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local books seller and order for you. The ISBN is open.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Benefits of the “Ex”: Making Love Visible When Everything Changes’ ?
My former husband handed me a monthly check and I said, “there are so many benefits to an ex” and from there the first half of the title came into creation. He said I could take the idea and book all the way to Oprah! I also knew a self help book had to have an “ing” creating movement for a reader to grow. Not sure how this would form up, it came one day to me. A friend hopped out of my car and said, “June, you make love visible where ever you go”. I became still with the thought and with time, began to understand that it was just that, making love visible, that was important, especially when everything changes and with that the rest of the book fell into order. It was really miraculous!
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Fresh often means introducing new alternatives of thinking in order for different ways to living occur. The book offers this by way of what one might call exercises. I call them “invitations”, not required but certainly well worth looking at for ones self to grow and change.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Let it rub you the wrong way and be willing to look at it with non-judgment. See that it just is and ask your Self, do you want to continue feeling this or are you open for change. The secret is, if you already have the book in your hands… you are calling it in now. Go for it. It’s your life, go ahead and get into what is really waiting for you!
Q1. Please Introduce yourself so readers will know you better.
I am a grandmom and love to read to my grandchildren, its so wonderful to have them sit with me while we take adventures through pages of books. I have always loved going to the library and walking through the lanes of shelf after shelf of books. I have always loved reading a good book and wish everyone joy in a great book.
Q2. What was The inspiration behind your book “The Adventures of Rhonda Raccoon.”
I grew up in the country and a mama raccoon was killed and left 3 babies. A neighbor found the babies and took them home to care for them. They put them in a large cage in their basement and fed and cared for them. They were not sure exactly when they would be ready to care for themselves in the wild but found out one day when they came home and they hsd unlocked the cage, opened the basement door and ate all the fish out of their fish tank. I have always been fascinated with how smart raccoons are and I love these little rascals.
Q3. When did you realize you want to be an author of a children’s book?
When my daughter was little I used to tell her stories about animals and nature at bedtime. When a friend heard the stories I would tell she encouraged me to write them down, I was a single mom so it was years before I wrote them in a story that could be published.
Q4. Are you planning to release your next book soon?
I would like to write another book about Rhonda and her friends but at this time I need work on promoting “The Adventures of Rhonda Raccoon.”
Q5. For which age group is your book suitable?
I would say ages 4 to age 10. If there is a parent or grandparent who read to a 4 to 6 year old this is a wonderful adventure for little ones.
Q6. What is my favorite quote?
“Do what you love and the money will follow.”
Q7. What do you like most about your country?
I love how the country changes as you go from state to state, the terrain and the people change. The food changes as you travel coast to coast and south to north. I spent many years working on phones talking to people all over America and hearing their stories. Also the animal world changes as you travel through each state. The way America changes is what helped create my book.
Q8. What suggestions you want to give to parents of little readers regarding reading habit.
I suggest finding books that interest the children and pick a time each week where you can sit down and spend 15 to 20 minutes reading and exploring what interests them. If there is a special subject like, dinosaurs pick books that can teach and also give a great story. Then you can find parks with dinosaurs to visit.
Q9. What does literary success look like to you?
Success would be people reading the book, loving the story and then tell their friends and family about it and they buy the book. Seeing the book on bookshelves for children to pick when they want a magical adventure. Also I would love to sell a million copies,
Q10. Lastly who is your inspiration in life and why?
My grandfather would be my inspiration, he started out with nothing and built a very successful business. He was a very talented stone mason and landscaper. He also was a family man and grew a huge vegetable garden that grew the best tomatoes, I still miss them to this day.
“You” is an inspirational children’s book which is written by Jacquie Anter and illustrated by Tais Lemos.
The story focuses on making children realize how special they are. Kids will learn about self love from this story. In this story, the author has written that we all are perfect because God made us. Just as the bird spreads its wings to fly, we, too, are destined to soar high. Children will surely love this story.
The story is fast paced and exciting. Beautiful artwork, fun and easy to read book. Great book with colourful pictures. The illustrations tell a story by themselves. It is a wonderful story that I will surely share with my friends. Great addition to the children’s bookshelf. The book clearly depicts how we are special. The author has written this book well.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Hi, I’m Candice Zee. I’m a teacher and early childhood educator and I’ve worked with Pre-K, Kindergarten, and school-age children for over 12 years. Also, I’ve been vegan for over 23 years and I’m a long-time animal and social justice advocate. I love to read and I’ve written most of my life, mostly essays and articles for organization newsletters, and The Munchkins is my debut novel. I’m from Wilkes-Barre, PA and I currently live with my wife Dana and our dog companion Solstice in Cleveland, OH.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Munchkins’ book?
Without a doubt, my key challenge was keeping the word count down. When I wrote the first draft of The Munchkins, I actually wrote the first and second book together. Then I took a look at the word count and it was over 300,000 words! That’s when I decided to split it up into two different books. But just getting the word count down to a reasonable level for the first book was very hard, and I spent countless hours editing. I think editing is much harder than writing because you have to make some tough decisions about cutting material you really like and want to keep, but you can’t save it all.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I read a lot of nonfiction in the social sciences genre, but when it comes to fiction I’ve been a huge fan of horror and thriller novels since I was a teenager. Two of my favorite horror authors are John Saul and Dean Koontz. My favorite author of all-time is probably Stephen King. I’ve read many of his books and short stories, and he’s definitely influenced my style of writing. The Munchkins is filled with elements of suspense, and Big Boss is like a villain straight out of a horror novel.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I would say anywhere near a large body of water, like a beach by the ocean or a cascading waterfall. I live by Lake Erie and I love to go there and just look out into the waves and the open sky. It’s a good reminder of how vast and majestic the universe is, and that humans are just a tiny part of it. It helps you instantly see the much bigger picture.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Not really. When I wrote The Munchkins, I felt like something was writing through me. I had the words typed out before I could even think of them. I’ve had the idea in my head since I was a kid so I guess in a way I was preparing to write this story my whole life. The only thing to do was open my laptop and start writing it.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Munchkins’ book?
Oh boy, it took me years. I think I started writing it in 2012. At first I wasn’t too serious about it, and was unsure if I’d even publish it, so it was just a little bit here and a little bit there, then a long period of time would pass before I’d go back to it. Once I finally decided I was going to publish it and write a series though, I banged it out rather quickly. I’d go into a zone and spend whole weekends doing nothing but writing, staying up all hours of the night, only coming up for air to eat (and sometimes I’d forget to eat). And remember I originally wrote the first and second books together, so I would have been done a lot sooner if I just wrote the first book. But on the plus side, now the second book is already written, so it shouldn’t take me nearly as long to publish the next one.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Munchkins’ book to buy?
The ebook and paperback are available to buy through a number of different sites and stores. There’s Amazon of course, but in addition you can find the ebook on Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, Scribd, and other digital retailers. If you visit books2read.com/themunchkins you will find links to all these stores. You can get the paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Target, Indiebound and Bookshop.org, and local book stores. You can also go to my website munchkinsbooks.com and find a link to order it there. I also want to encourage readers to sign up for the Munchie email newsletter list at https://www.subscribepage.com/p3s1g5 where you can stay updated on news about the book series and receive perks like book chapters, sneak previews, author Q&As, and book giveaway contests.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Munchkins’ ?
When I was a kid, my brother and I would make up our own make-believe stories and play pretend, acting them out. Our favorite one we made up was about kids with magic powers who never grow up and the bad guy who wants their powers named Big Boss, and we called it “Munchkins.” I can’t even remember now how we decided on that name. The idea has been in my head since I was a child though, and I always thought to myself I should turn this story into a book someday, until finally one day I decided to just sit down and write it. I also had a vision for what I wanted the book cover to look like. It was really important to me to feature the Four Musketeers (Capricorn, Allie, Breezy, and Hazy) on the cover, to show how close they are and then also to have light coming off of them to represent their powers. I originally wanted all of the kids on the cover actually, but quickly realized they wouldn’t all fit. Then I also envisioned Big Boss’s silhouette standing in the background as this ominous figure. I love the cover of the book and I think my cover designer, Jeff Brown Graphics, did an amazing job depicting the Four Musketeers and bringing the story to life.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I guess I’ll find out when I start revising and editing the second book. I’ll say this though: The second book is much much darker than the first one. It actually dives more into the YA category than middle-grade because of the very grave subject matter. So expect more of a YA novel for the second book in the series, titled Capricorn’s Journal: My Family’s Fight for Survival.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
There are major limits to the Munch children’s powers. The biggest limit is that once they use a power, they have to wait for a certain period of time before they can use a power again. Their powers work almost like a battery and they have to recharge their energy after using them. This point becomes very important to the plot. Also, pay attention to Allie, a favorite character with readers. She is incredibly witty and has some of the best lines in the book. When things start to get too tense, Allie will make a sarcastic remark and bring instant comic relief.
Sassy Reviews 