“Ruby and Friends: Fun at the Fair” is a traditional Children’s Story book written by the author Summer Brookes. Whispering Woods Annual Fair is a special day and everyone has great fun at the fair. Grab a copy of this book to know what all Ruby will do at the fair.
Lots of fun is waiting for kids in this story. Illustrations are beautiful and this story made me curious to go to the fair. Time that we spend with family and friends is always a fun time. It’s a great story that is written well. I enjoyed every bit of this story. Looking forward to reading more stories by the author.
“I’m Not Afraid!” is a Children’s Book written and illustrated by the author Kyle Moray. Story features a little boy Sammy whose parents tucked him in and he fell asleep. Sammy heard a terrible monster noise. He is brave so he started checking his home for the monster. Will he be able to find a monster and deal with it?
It’s a perfect bedtime story book. Illustrations are beautiful and eye-catching. Little readers would be able to relate to the story as it happens often. Language used in the book is simple so kids could understand it. This book teaches a beautiful lesson to kids that would be helpful to them for a lifetime. Parents should give this book to their kids.
Book: Bambolina Adventures: Little Doll Adventures
Q1. Hello Maám, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Dear readers, my name is Maria ST Clair, and I recently wrote my newest adorable children’s book “Bambolina Adventures”! I was born and raised in southern Italy, but have been living in Virginia since 1984. I am bilingual and my book is available in English, Italian, and Spanish. My love for creativity, my lovely granddaughter and her mom, Novella Low (co-Author), is what inspired me to write this adorable picture book. I am also an advocate for education and support children who love to read. When I learned that my granddaughter was going to a local library at the age of one, well, that did it. I decided she should have her own book. In fact, it is her book, she is the main character and the stories are based on true events. I just put it in ink and tweaked it a little bit with beautiful little fairies, just to make it more fun and magical for little readers. In addition, I love to cook, a few years ago I wrote my first cookbook: Eat Better, Feel Better.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing the ‘Bambolina Adventures: Little Doll Adventures’ book?
The main challenge I faced while writing Bambolina Adventures was the formatting, but thanks to my awesome illustrator, Caroline Webb, and co-author, Novella Low we put it together beautifully. And what a great experience it was!! Seeing the book come alive before my eyes was an unforgettable feeling. The other challenge was the translation: although I am fluent in Italian, well translating a book is quite intriguing. Many thanks to Barbara Dalla Villa and Virginia Magri’ for the Spanish translation, also a challenge.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
No author or book influenced me in my own writing. Although I love Harry Potter by JK Rowling, I find her books imagination mesmerizing. In addition, I love Magical Adventurous Little Heer, by Amita Momi, her creativity is astounding.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
Southern Italy, I was born there and with the breath-taking architectural history, I cannot get enough of it.
Q5. Are there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Yes, a lot of thinking, processes, and planning.
Q6. How long did it take you to write the ‘Bambolina Adventures: Little Doll Adventures’ book?
That was the easiest part because the stories are based on true events and they are short, it only took me two days.
Q7. On what all platforms’ readers can find the ‘Bambolina Adventures: Little Doll Adventures’ book to buy?
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Bambolina Adventures: Little Doll Adventures’?
The front and back cover are real photos, and Bambolina is a real character. That made it easier.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
In my case: (children’s books) more magical, adventurous, and creative! To all my readers: read it, love it, and kindly leave a review! See you in Bambolina’s next adventure coming in 2022 Thank you!!
Ancient History penned by the author Sophie Penhaligon is a suspenseful romance novel. Main character of the story is Athena Duncan who is a daughter of renowned archeologist Dr. Hamish Duncan. Athena is much like her father and her relationship with him is beyond normal father-daughter relationship. They both are passionate about archeology and ancient civilizations.
At her father’s book launch event, Athena was attracted to a man, Dr. Jack Latimer, professor of archeology from Harvard. Guys like Jack are rare and Athena had many things in common with him. After her parents death when Athena went to Paris, she met Patrice who was interested in Athena and couldn’t stop talking about her to her Godfather Olivier.
Ancient History is kinda novel that fits perfectly according to my reading taste. Athena is such an interesting character. I enjoyed reading much about her. Language used in the book is lucid. Cover photo is nice and the title couldn’t have been better than this. I am glad to read this novel and I am looking forward to reading more novels by Sophie.
“The Legend of the Stinky Sock” is a Children’s Book written by the author Laura Riley. Story features a little boy Conner who has a Little League Baseball team, the Rockets. Conner’s team is on a losing streak. His father told him about “The Legend of the Stinky Sock”. Through the stinky, dirty sock, one will get the magical baseball powers. Grab a copy of this book and read it yourself to know will Conner be successful in making the Stinky Sock appear.
I enjoyed reading this beautiful story. I read it to my nephew and clapped happily after listening to the story. Plot of the story is beautiful. Cover photo is eye-catching. Title of the book couldn’t have been better than this. Beautiful illustrations will catch kids’ attention right away. Parents should give this wonderful story book to their little readers.
Lost Winds penned by the author Rashaan Riggans is the final book in the Storm series. Main character of the story is Zenrachi. Zenrachi reached the peak of
Kenzai Mountain with his friends Rahku and
Hisashi. A gigantic bird avatar Horiau made of an unearthly blue aura spreaded its colossal wings in the sky and merged back into Zenrachi.
Zenrachi, Rahku and Hisashi observed the engravings
carved into the walls. The etchings on each wall revealed various
illustrations of the two deities of Arashi
Tochi. Zen has a dark shadow over him that needs to be lifted. His elder brothers’ death has changed him. Grab a copy of this book and find out what happens next. I enjoyed this story. Language used in the book is medium.
This is the first book penned by the author Rashaan that I have read. Cover photo is nice and world building is awesome. I enjoyed every bit of this story. Ending of the story is what I loved the most. Author’s writing style is nice and I like to strongly recommend this novel to my fellow readers.
Tactile Therapy written by the author Durell Arrington is an action packed Science fiction. Plot revolves around the two aliens that arrived on Earth after the destruction of the asteroid. Minutia came to Earth to find a rare artifact that fell to Earth. She took help from a 11 years old boy Calvin Sonder who has abilities that are beyond human.
Calvin snips the tape from Minutia’s wrist. Minutia’s entire past of where she’s from and how she got on Apophis all start flying into Calvin’s head. He was astonished that she is an alien. Calvin found Minutia more amazing than The Man in the Dirty Robes who rescued the Star-Child. Grab a copy of this novel and find out what happens next in the story.
Length of the novel is 420 pages so it will take some time to finish but the story is worth reading. I appreciate the author’s vivid imagination in creating this interesting world. Language used in the book is lucid and I was easily able to follow the story. Story is full of action all the time so you won’t get a chance to be bored while reading. Science fiction fans couldn’t afford to miss reading this book.
Virtual Insanity is the debut book of the author Lara McKenzie. It is a memoir that describes Lara’s life journey along with her descent into mental illness and her dedication to recovery.
This is Lara’s story who was born in Australia in 1975. At the age of six, she had an astral projection. Lara was very close to her maternal and paternal grandparents. She was hurt after she lost them. At the age of eleven, she was sexually abused and the flashback of it came to her at the age of nineteen. She started experiencing depression at 11 and it stayed with her through her teen years. At boarding school, a master has taken benefit of many girls and later he did suicide.
At the age of twelve, Lara learnt how fragile relationships are. She has also mentioned about how her mental health deteriorated and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
This book is an insightful read. I like to recommend this book to my fellow readers who suffer from mental ill-health or want to understand mental illness. This book is a collection of so many experiences of Lara’s life. I am glad that I got my hands on this book. Written in simple language, this book has so much to offer to the readers. I like to strongly recommend it to everyone.
Q1. Hello Maám, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
I’m Lara, and I am a former management consultant who works full-time and writes part-time. I am from Australia, but live in the UK. I have two children, who are adults now although I have a painful story of losing custody of them many years ago. My inspiration for writing came out of a childhood dream of wanting to be a writer. I have written four books: Virtual Insanity, a memoir published in 2020, two children’s books, Lest We Forget and Wizard Company published in 2021 and a sequel memoir being published in early 2022. I have recently submitted a manuscript to my publisher called My Dream, The Republic of Australia, Our History, Our Hurt, Our Country for release in 2022. I am also working on my debut fiction novel. I live with my partner in Hampshire, UK. I have a passion for writing. And a little secret I hold is that my daughter inspires me to write, and I write my books for her too.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Virtual Insanity’ book?
Virtual Insanity was my first book, and is a memoir of my life and descent into mental illness. I wrote whilst I was unwell in psychosis so that I could illustrate the challenges of mental illness. Writing my memoir was hard because I revealed so much about my life; very personal details which I felt ashamed about at the time. But after it was published I felt a lot of healing and peace. No longer was I silent about my life, my illness and the things that had happened to me. In Virtual Insanity, I described how I felt under surveillance by intelligence agencies and terrorised by a drug cartel. There is a part of me that still believes my story is true and that these things were occurring. However, I have found peace and joy in my life again.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Elyn Saks, an American, who is Associate Dean Professor of Law, Psychology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Gould Law School was my greatest inspiration for writing my books. Elyn Saks lives with schizophrenia and wrote a book about her experience with the illness in her award-winning best-selling autobiography, The Center Cannot Hold. I am diagnosed with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder and I read Elyn Saks autobiography in 2018 and it gave me the inspiration and courage to tell my story. My other favourite author is Jane Austin whose works I find romantic and divine. She has inspired me to write my first fiction novel that I am currently working on.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I am from Australia and my favourite spot in Australia is the Gold Coast. White sandy beaches and the aqua ocean always give me a sense of calm. It’s a beautiful spot and brings back my childhood memories of playing in the sand and diving into the surf. As I live in the UK now, my favorite spot to visit is in Cornwall. We go camping there, visit the old ruins of castles and go to the beaches and rock pools. I find delightful beauty in the UK countryside and love hiking through woods and visiting historical places.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
I always plan the book out before writing. As a former project manager and cannot help but planning it out! Often my books require research and brainstorming sessions to develop the plot and characters and I will spend quite a bit of time doing this. I also like to read other books with the same genre which inspire me in my own writing.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Wizard Company’ and ‘Lest We Forget’ books?
Wizard Company and Lest We Forget are children’s books for 5-10 year olds. Lest We Forget is an educational book teaching children about Remembrance Day and all those past and present who have served in our Armed Forces and given us our freedom. Wizard Company is about four children who find a magical book and are transported to a magical land where they have to overcome dark forces and solve a riddle to return home. It’s a fantasy story but teaches children to have courage. Both books took me six weeks to write. Virtual Insanity, my first memoir, to me one year to write.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?
Virtual Insanity is available on Amazon in eBook, Audiobook, Paperback and Hardback. All my other books are available in Paperback and eBook.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?
Titles I find difficult to come up with. The title of Virtual Insanity I chose because I wanted to reflect the brink of insanity I experienced with my mental illness. That is, I virtually became insane. I have recovered now though. The titles for Wizard Company and Lest We Forget are titles that I chose because they reflect the themes of the book. All My Stars, my sequel memoir being released in early 2022, was a title I was wary of choosing but I came up with it because it reflected the spiritual experiences I have had which I have outlined in the book.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
When I’m writing I take breaks – sometimes long breaks. During these breaks I do other activities and go on long walks. This gives me time to reflect on my writing and allows me the ability to change the plot, characters, storyline or find a twist that I need to add. I also sometimes create vision boards (a board with pictures from magazines) which I use to inspire me with my writing.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
I guess one little secret I can divulge which I share in my sequel memoir, All My Stars, is that I found love again. In Virtual Insanity, my first memoir, I end with being alone. But my life changed so much since then and I reunited with my former partner which I ended with in All My Stars. I guess the message is, that no matter what, no matter what you go through, no matter what happens to you, you can recover and love can be found again. Love reigns supreme. I recreated the gorgeous life that I live now.
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Charde Vera. I am from New York but have lived and travelled many places because I was in the military. I am a wife and a stay-at-home mom to an incredibly talented daughter named Nayomi, who also co-illustrated my first children’s book “She Is.” My passion, dream and purpose have always been for writing. I have been journaling since I was five years old and still have them all to this day! I am an advocate for mental health and self-love and want to use my writing to guide woman and children into believing, trusting and loving themselves fully.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘She Is’ book?
The most challenging part of writing this book was the discipline to keep going when things got hard, confusing and overwhelming. As well as finding and readjusting balance while writing this book, being a stay-at-home mom and wife and other responsibilities. Once I got in a good flow it was great because putting out this book is my dream.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Joyce Meyer has really influenced my writing because of her own story and all the amazing books she has written have helped me through the process of writing my own book. Books such as “Never give up” or “The Confident Woman.” She even has amazing children’s books.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
New York City is my favorite place to visit. What makes it so special to me is the diversity of the people, the sightseeing, the activities and places to visit. There is so much to do there, it’s beautiful. It also happens to be my home city.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Yes, there are so many things to know. However, I believe if someone wants to write a book they should just start writing. Make an outline and write all ideas about what the book will be about. Have a plan for your purpose in writing this book, why are you writing, what do you want to share or do with this book? During that process you can research and reach out to other authors to help with everything that goes into the writing, publishing, and marketing part of it, especially a self-published author.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘She Is’ book?
Once I started writing the book it took me about 4 months for everything, including the illustrations. However, this book has been in my heart for 5 years before that. So, once I started, I was ready for the world to see it and worked hard to complete it.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘She Is’ book to buy?
On my website http://www.chardevera.com as well as amazon for right now. I plan to have my book in many stores including Barnes and Noble and Walmart to name a few.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘She Is’?
The title “She Is” came to me when I began putting all the affirmations together for my book. It is a positive affirmation book for girls reminding them that they are each of them, e.g. Beautiful, Strong, Valuable. That’s when the name came to me because whomever she may be, She is Beautiful and She is Valuable. The cover of the book came to me because my daughter was my inspiration. She also co illustrated the book and it is her on the cover. She is surrounded by the flowers which represent each girl and the affirmation assigned.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Research, and that can mean searching online, talking to different people, putting ideas together and taking time to create and learn what people enjoy and what they need.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
The book is very diverse. I wanted to represent many different girls and, although each girl on every page has an affirmation on that page, every girl in the book, and in life, are all those things and more.
