“What Does It Mean to Be Green?” written by the author Rana DiOrio and illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda is an interesting read. This book teaches different ways to kids how they can be green in the things they do in their daily routine.
Author has mentioned so many ways in which we can save energy and earth’s resources. Pandemic has taught us a great lesson. We should respect Mother Earth to maintain balance in nature.
Grab a copy of this picture book and get to know different ways of saving the environment. This is a well written book. Kids will love this story and they will be happy to have so many tips to be green. Well illustrated book. I like to strongly recommend it for little readers.
Wide Sky People penned by Bruce Mitchell is the first installment in the Thornton Series, and the author’s debut novel. It’s an exciting tale of Mick and Cate Thornton and their two young boys who emigrated from Ireland to Australia in 1841. After spending nearly five months on sea, they enter Sydney Harbour.
The family finds lodgings at ‘Dawson’s Boarding House’, and after a disheartening search Mick finds work as a stableman; but their world is upturned when Cate is arrested for theft. What follows is an adventure in the dark back streets of The Rocks, with a thrilling climax.
The story unfolds west of the mountains where the family works the land and encounters both hardship and reward. Mick and Cate’s two sons Michael and John play an important role as adventurers and graziers.
I loved this story. Bruce’s writing style is captivating and I couldn’t put the book down. The plot is unique and the pace is fast, with vivid narration from the author. The loss of a loved one is not easy to handle and I became a little emotional while reading. The book’s cover looks wonderful and the title couldn’t be better. I am interested to read more of Bruce’s work.’
Book: Miracles and Mayhem: A Testimony of God’s Ever-Present Love and Protection
Author: Belinda Smith Cicarella
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“Miracles and Mayhem: A Testimony of God’s Ever-Present Love and Protection” penned by the author Belinda Smith Cicarella is a guide to God. In this book, the author has expressed how faith in God can do miracles in our life. Belinda who hadn’t done anything to deserve God’s kindness saw miracles and God’s mercy in her own life. This made her faith in God stronger.
There are various stories that show her faith in God. In the small town in the Yucatán Peninsula, Belinda realized how impoverished people think they will not be happy until they have more, and enriched people are joyfully certain they have everything. She was grateful to the warm hospitality she received from people. Inside the jungle, a dark creature was after Belinda. But she was saved by a Brahma-type bull with wide horns. She felt this bull as a heavenly protector and felt peace in her heart.
Another incident in Acapulco, Mexico when God kept the shark from pursuing her. I could relate well to the author’s stories as I was once about to drown and it was God’s mercy on me that I am alive today. I believe in God. I like readers to give a read to this book as there are various testimonials of God’s love and protection. This book also has stories about the loss of loved ones like Josie.
This is a nicely written book. I enjoyed reading every bit of it. Stories that Belinda has mentioned in this book are worth reading. Have faith in God and let him illuminate your path. I appreciate the author’s work in this book. I loved the words of encouragement at the end of stories. Go ahead with this book without thinking twice.
IELTS Vocabulary Flash Cards are really helpful and a faster way to master IELTS vocabulary. There are different word categories like Travel, Education, Environment, etc. IELTS aspirants can master the words of different categories easily. Also, these cards come in a box and one could carry one category card in an easy carrying box so it will be easier for students to improve their vocabulary anywhere anytime.
The quality of the cards is high and they are durable. I have gone through 352 IELTS vocabulary cards on my recent trip. I carried the card box in my bag and in my free time I added so many new words to my vocabulary. I really appreciate the efforts Educational Software Technologies Limited; Vibrant Publishers had put in manufacturing this product. I loved the easy carrying box. It’s amazing and this entire box is such an innovative idea.
Each card has a word, its meaning, synonyms, antonyms, use in a sentence and other forms as well. I like to strongly recommend this product to IELTS aspirants and to those who love enhancing their vocabulary. Go ahead with this without thinking twice.
“TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan” written by the author Blue Spruell and illustrated by Miya Outlaw is a fantasy fiction. Main character of the story is Taro, a young boy living in feudal Japan. It’s Taro’s seventh birth day and Lord Takeda tells that Taro is the heir to Yōgaiyama Castle and the whole dominion of Kai Province. Taro keeps himself immersed in the books all the time. He even escapes from his home to have a place where he can peacefully read but his father wants him to get the training. Story becomes more exciting when Taro is taken in by a witch and he gets to know the animals of Mount Fuji.
This is a well written story. I love reading folklore and I am glad to get my hands on this one. Taro is a great character and I enjoyed reading about the titular character. This is a great coming-of-age fantasy novel and more and more readers should get their hands on this. Illustrations by Miya Outlaw are amazing and helped me to understand the story better. Cover photo of the book looks like. Title is short and suitable. If you are a fan of folklore then don’t miss to grab a copy of this book.
I love reading short stories. I have read a couple of short stories penned by the author Weston King and recently I got my hands on his latest work Masc 4 Mask.
Written in 5 pages, this story is captivating and will hook the reader’s attention from page 1. Story features Louis in a gay club. The pandemic is over and people are no more wearing masks. But at the bar, Louis’ eyes fell on a man who was wearing a mask. Louis found himself attracted to this man and he is curious to find out why this man is wearing a mask. Grab a copy of this short story and find out for yourself what’s gonna happen at the end.
I enjoyed reading this story. Ending of the story was unexpected. Plot is interesting. I appreciate the way Weston creates short stories. His short stories are based on different topics but they are always interesting. Cover photo featuring a mask looks suitable. Pace of the story is fast and the background is perfectly set. If you are into short stories, give a read to Weston’s work. I am sure you will love his writing.
“The Tea House: Love and Ghosts in Riverside” penned by the author Marie Brighton is a sweet love story. After her grandfather’s death, Lily has escaped to a small mountain town. She is living in a rental home on the outskirts of the town of Riverside.
Drew, a guy in mid-thirties runs an antique shop in his hometown. He took over the shop when his old man passed away. He noticed Lily the moment she moved into this town. Drew and Lily met each other at the antique shop and they have a date together finally. Grab a copy of this book and read it yourself to know what’s gonna happen next.
It is a short story written in 37 pages that one could finish in a single sitting. Cover photo of the book looks nice and the title is suitable. Language used in the book is lucid. Plot of the story is quite interesting. Narration is smooth. Pace of the story is fast and I was totally engaged in it. If you love reading short stories, go ahead with it.
“Alice, Shaken and Definitely Stirred” written by the author Paula Smith is a romantic comedy novel. Life had been hard for Alice after losing her dad. As a family, she has her brother Robert, sister-in-law Sue and nephew Ben. Since her ex-boyfriend Mark has walked out, Alice stays a little sad. Ben thinks that his aunt needs a good man in her life.
After the loss of her father, Alice had taken time off from work. She had been a loyal employee for twenty years at Frobersham. She was the top and only Director of Sales that was there for the company through thick and thin. When Alice returned to office after a break, she got to know that she has been replaced by Miss Bond who is their new Director of Sales. Grab a copy of this novel and find out for yourself what all is going to happen with Alice.
The story is intriguing. I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it. Writing style is impressive. Cover photo is beautiful. Story is fast paced and I didn’t feel bored anytime while reading it. This novel is totally according to my reading taste. Author has written characters very well. I enjoyed every bit of the story. I am definitely interested to read more of Paula’s work.
Those who are a fan of romcom shouldn’t miss to read this one.
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Christine Meyers, and my life has been an adventure filled with magic, imagination and love. From a young age I have had a backpack full of short stories that I wrote, mostly inspired from my dreams. As I developed more mature writing skills, I continued to utilize writing as a major expressive tool through poetry, short novels and journal entries. I dove more and more into the literature side of creative writing and fell in love with the concept of interpretation of literary works. As one who loves puzzles, I saw this as a mystery to uncover, reading through HP Lovecraft, Margaret Atwood, Plato, Taoism, Buddhism, George RR Martin and many more. I was addicted to uncovering what the author was teaching through the illusion of a story. This curiosity, and passion to uncover, opened something in me that I hadn’t felt in years. A desire to create, to express, to remember my childlike self. I remembered all of my favorite books growing up, and how they left such a major impression in my adult life. I carried those impressions with me for years, looking at the world through lenses I didn’t know I had. The art of storytelling, and the images to paint those words a live, are one of the most precious of gifts through time. Through my children’s books, I strive to create a magical adventure, that dives deep into the human experience in a light-hearted manner. Life is not all serious, and children’s book help to deliver a rich message, in the form of dessert. That dessert is delivered in my children’s philosophical/spiritual book series. These have no order to them, so they can be read in any way. I wanted to create a series that was connected, not by time, but through characters. Characters, and philosophical views, merge between books, creating an interconnected world of imagination, adventure and experiencing the magic in the world around us. I also wanted a way for adults to be introduced to these philosophical views in a new age way, so that as their children grow in discovering, they too can continue to grow and discover more of the world around them.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Tao’s Way’ book?
I believe that anything that is done from the heart is not only a gift to share but also one that comes with many challenges. That is true for this book. The challenges that I faced with writing Tao’s Way came mostly in the after stages of the writing. Not to say that writing wasn’t challenging, as there was a 5 year gap between writing the story and taking initiative to make it into a book. The challenge there was myself, I wasn’t sure anyone even wanted to read what I had to write or that it was important and the self can be the biggest challenge we face in standing in the way of our passions. The beginning of writing creation is always so exciting, and everything is a spark because it’s bringing this idea that was imagined and birthing it into a real, physical thing to be shared. Once the story is created and out there, then comes the steps to develop it so that end product fits the vision aesthetically. Finding an illustrator to capture the images in my mind was the longest part of this process for me and the most challenging. As someone who didn’t have any background in the process, I assumed this would be easy, that the words I wrote would easily translate into images, ‘but I was wrong. I spent years finding someone who saw what I saw and could tell my story in picture form the way I desired it to be told. Platforms like FIVR were extremely beneficial in assisting in this process as well as the nitty gritty work, such as having the story edited and critiqued. The whole process presented many challenges, but challenges are just opportunities to grow and learn and so I really appreciated having to have gone through them because all of them really did strengthen my belief in the work as well as push me to commit further into making the end something tangible.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
With Tao’s Way, the book that most influenced me to write this story was the Tao Te Ching. After reading it, for the first time, I felt so connected to myself and the world around me in ways I didn’t know I even could be connected. This connection allowed me to see the world differently, more compassionately and peacefully and I thought “Wow, does anyone else know about this book? How can I share it with the world?”
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
This is a tough one for me because my soul thrives off of adventure and I hold a lot of places near and dear. One of my most favourite spots in our country, I would have to say, is western Colorado (Telluride/Ouray/Durango). The magnificence there is what sticks with me. It feels like I’m in a magical wonderland whenever I visit those mountains and every hike is challenging but so incredibly rewarding with what nature has to teach, and what a gift to be part of something so beautiful. That part of the country reminds me that life and nature are powerful and gentle, and that we are a small piece of the magic all around us.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
I’ve always had quite an imagination so when an idea does present itself, I find it rather streamlined to write a story because I can see the scenes in my head as they are happening. Most of my ideas come from play, which for me is a very fertile place for the mind to create and grow. That being said, having that playfulness, the stories kind of write themselves and I feel more of a vessel to share them rather than to creating them.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Tao’s Way’ book?
As I said, it was a long process between writing and transitioning the words into a book but the writing portion was quick. I sat down with my idea and wrote it out. I eventually did have to edit and tweak the words because I began learning the protocols for children’s books with page lengths and word counts but the core of the book was solid and there for me to work off of.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Tao’s Way’ book to buy?
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Tao’s Way’ ?
The book cover for Tao’s Way really presented itself when I began working with the marvelous Sarah Leigh-Wills on illustrations. We had talked at length on what my goals were for the book and after chats, Sarah created the first round of images of my vision. We worked together on details such as I wanted the map to say “home” because that is what Tao’s whole journey was about, finding his way home. I also wanted Taoism visually represented which is why I asked that Tao was carrying the ying and yang symbol instead of a traditional sack on the end of a stick. The title of the book comes from a play on words. Tao, means The Way, so I wanted the title to represent the Way of the Tao or the Way’s Way. Essentially meaning that we all have our own way to get through life and this was Tao’s Way.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
When I’m writing, I’m mostly writing to create a puzzle that is interlinked for the reader. I thoroughly enjoy bringing large, difficult concepts into simple forms and making everything connect back to the original idea. In this case, I wanted everything; the names of the characters, the scenes, the language, the actions, to tie together. The freshness came from me putting together this visual and verbal puzzle so that everything was the related to Taoism in a fun, interactive way that was not hyper obvious unless the reader knew, or dove a bit more into the philosophy itself.
“The Gift of Abirami” penned by the author Claudio Anugra is a kinda book that will inspire the readers to find their purpose in life.
The story is set in India in the 80s. The main character, Leo, finds that because of money, status and career there is no time for self-discovery. He travels to Bombay, but falls in a trap of drug addiction and deceit, while losing most of his savings. He finally escapes to Goa, where after mixing with the wrong crowd he manages to find a place in the hills to clear his addiction. The whole experience leaves him with a dark hole in his heart. Will he go back home, or take a leap of faith and follow a deeper calling.
I felt so much inspired after reading this book, that I will be serious about my purpose now. This book is an awakening contemporary read. The title couldn’t have been better and the cover picture reflects the whole journey. The author isn’t from an English background, but the writing is nice and the narration is smooth. It is a story worth reading and I like to recommend it to every one.
Sassy Reviews 