#Review It's Raining Bats & Frogs by Rebecca Colby #Halloween #countdowntohalloween2024

My review:

If a reader could have a book that looked at Halloween just a little bit differently, then this book is it! Instead of going house to house for candy, the witches, ghost,goblins, and all ghouls of Halloween, have a parade.

Unfortunately, the witches are unhappy because it starts to rain. Are they going to melt? Of course not, but what are they to do as their broomsticks are getting wet. 

In comes a cute little witch with a spell or two. Does that fix the problem? Hmm... Of course read the book and find out.

I loved this book with its cute rhymes and fun illustrations. The pairing is perfect. The illustrator managed to make the pictures to move right before your eyes. For those who cannot read yet,they "said" exactly what needed to be said. The book helps the emergent reader with complex sentences as well.

I give this book 5 pumpkins!

Disclosure: I obtained this book from my local library. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Where to find the author:

Amazon

Immortal Wounds by Angie Barton #giveaway #countdowntohalloween2024 #book series #

Book Description:

After witnessing the brutal deaths of her mother and husband, Isobel overhears a confession from one of the murderers, a ruthless vampire who claims to be her father. For fear that she and her unborn daughter’s death could come next, Isobel uses the only magic she possesses and summons a portal to take her two hundred years in the past to revisit an ancestor in Scotland who she believes may know the truth of her parentage. However, in her haste, Isobel lands in the wrong century.

Before she realizes her mistake, she stumbles upon a family: a ferocious Highland warrior and his two sisters. Isobel could not have prepared herself for what she discovered during her stay: the vampire who claimed to be her father, alive three hundred years in the past! 

With the help of Meg, the youngest sister, and Mariam, both women’s ancestor, Isobel finds herself belonging in a world she never dreamed of—one entangled with vampires and webbed with revenge, curses, and a prophecy that has dictated all of their lives for the last four hundred years. 

Did Isobel make an error landing in the wrong time, or was it part of her destiny?

Amazon

SPOOKY COOKIES

I LOVE baking, especially around the holidays! Every October I make these amazing double chocolate

chip cookies and it’s easy to say that they are a hit with both children and adults! 

They are soft and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate, but it’s the candy eyeballs that are the star of the show!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

• optional: black food coloring

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 Tbsp. milk

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

• Candy Eyeballs for topping the cookies

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an

electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars. You can add black food coloring at

this time to get a deeper shade of black in the cookies. Beat together on medium-

high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, scrape

down the bowl if needed.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and

salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the mixer on low

speed just until mixed. Mix in the milk on the lowest speed and fold in the

chocolate chips.

3. Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets.

Flatten slightly. Top cookies with candy eyeballs.

Place cookie sheet in freezer for 10-15 minutes.

4. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then

transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. ENJOY!

About the Author:

Award winning author, Angie Barton, published her first novel, Immortal Wounds, in 2022. Angie’s love for writing centers around the fantasy genre, but she also enjoys writing thriller and romance. Her passion for reading, which led to her love of writing, began in elementary school with the Scholastic Book program. Her parents, who are life-long avid readers, have been a huge influence on her reading. Therefore anything and everything Angie could get her hands on she read.

Angie has been an early childhood educator since 1986 and hold a B.S. in Child Development. Her love for literacy has continued throughout her career, not only for herself, but also with the children she has cared for and taught. What Angie is most passionate about is helping others discover the excitement that reading brings. Her greatest desire in writing is to create and bring joy and entertainment to everyone she touches.

Currently, if Angie isn't reading at least three books at a time or working on a rough draft for her next book, she can be found outdoors gardening, woodworking, or relaxing by her pond. She shares that she's a Capricorn, tried and true, drinks way too much tea, and that her &"TBR" pile of books can spike at any time.

www.authorangiebarton.com

https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomangie_barton

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Bells, Book, and Corpses by T.C. LoTempio #Halloween #countdowntoHalloween2024 #cozymysteries

7th in the Series

Setting - California

Beyond the Page (September 24, 2024)

Number of Pages 207

It’s Halloween trick-or-treachery when murder pays a visit to a cursed mansion in the new

Nick and Nora mystery . . .

Waincroft Manor has long been tied to rumors of witchcraft and fatal curses, and to Nora

Charles, that makes it the perfect place for a Halloween fundraiser. But her first trip to the

deserted old mansion turns out to be truly ghoulish when she discovers a dead body. What’s

more, the corpse is laid out in a coffin—with two bite marks on its neck. Then the autopsy comes

back showing that the body was drained of blood, and there’s no stopping the local gossips from

whispering the word vampire to anyone who will listen.

Determined to dispel the rumors and save the fundraiser, Nora sets out to prove the murderer was

quite human after all. Sifting through the clues, she learns of a bitter family rivalry that spans

generations, and a more recent conflict that may point to the motive for the murder. And when

Nick spells out a clue that proves to be the missing piece of the puzzle, Nora knows she’ll have

to watch her back—because there’s a killer out there who wants to keep some secrets buried, and

they’ll happily bury Nora right along with them . . .

Includes mouthwatering recipes!

About T.C. LoTempio

While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing

it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first

Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic.  She and her cat pen the Nick and

Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page

Publishing.  They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series,

originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded last  year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop

Mysteries.”  Book six in the Nick and Nora mysteries, A PURR BEFORE DYING, is released

this February from Beyond the Page.  There is also a new series, Tiffany Austin Food Blogger,

coming out in April.

You can catch up with them at ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com or her

website

Amazon

  

Dragon's Halloween by Dav Pilkey #review #CountdowntoHalloween2024 #bookseries #chapterbooks

 As I do not have any "littles" around much anymore, I was unaware that this book is from a series of "Dragon's" books. I picked up this one for Halloween. The cover is adorable with the blue dragon and plethora of cats at his feet.

The story follows along Dragon as he tries to scare others and himself. As the book is chopped up into three small chapters, the first chapter is him trying to carve scary pumpkins, next scary costumes, and finally scares of the night. I have not told you much other than the titles for each chapter.

It is a perfect book for kids who are beginning to read, who like the author, dragons, animals, and most importantly Halloween. I found the short stories to be cute and engaging enough that I wanted to turn the page.  The illustrations had all the colors you would expect for Halloween and a few more. The pictures went well with the words.

A nice little addition to the book was in thr back where the author illustrates how to draw Dragon. Fun! Also, the very last page asks kids questions of what costumes they might wear to a costume party and encourages kids to draw them.

Good book and it gets 4 pumpkins (but not too scary) from me.

Disclosure: I picked up  a copy of this book from my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Where to find the author:

Goodreads

#Review Boo! by Robert Munsch #Halloween #childrensbooks #2024 #CountdowntoHalloween2024

My review:

I have read a few children's books from this author and picked this one from my local library  because I like his books. I wish that this book could be among my tops for him but it isn't.

Pros: As a Halloween book goes, a kid wants to dress up and have fun on Halloween. His goal is to be the scariest around. So scary that he makes people fall over in fright...he even scares his Dad.

The kid goes out and succeeds in getting his candy...so much candy that he cannot even lift it and someone else has to take it home for him.

The author attempted to make this a multicultural book.

Cons: The author failed! Wow, so much wrong here. I get that this book is meant to be for children but you have to remember who you are writing for. 

The kid is a black child who unfortunately is  oozing with very stereotypical racism. It was absolutely appalling to read when it could have been so good. Sad!

I do see the author rewrote an updated version. I cannot say that I will read it. I give this book a "boo" for sure with a one pumpkin. 

Disclosure: I obtained this book from my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. Note: Although I  abhor this book, I will not ask my library to remove it. I do read banned books and do not like censorship. I will however, voice my concerns. This is a reminder though that authors need to be better at what they write and know their audience.  ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Where to find the author: 

ROBERT MUNSCH is Canada's bestselling author of more than sixty picture books for young readers. His irreverent tales of childhood mischief, populated by diverse characters, have been loved by generations of children and their families, who have made him Canada's bestselling and best loved author. Robert lives in Guelph, Ontario. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Insensible Loss by Linda L. Richards #spotlight #giveaway #thriller

 

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: September 17, 2024
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1608095148
Series: The Endings Series, Book 4 | Each is a Stand-Alone
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Synopsis:

The Endings Series

 

Her life is over . . . yet somehow she carries on

After attempting to sever all ties to her life as a hired assassin, a woman struggles to understand who she has become. She knows she doesn't want to kill again--but it proves to be a difficult habit to break, particularly in a world where people are after her and those she loves most.

Adrift and disconnected, she meets an old woman: Imogen O'Brien, a world-famous artist who has spent the last three decades living a hermit-like existence on a rustic desert estate in a national forest. Imogen invites her to stay and work for her, offering mentorship in return as the woman deepens her own interest in art.

What quickly becomes apparent is that elements of Imogen's past are shrouded in danger, sorrow, and darkness. Rather than growing as an artist, the former hit woman soon finds herself enmeshed in a dangerous mystery with strands that stretch decades into the past.

Author Bio:

Linda L. Richards is the award-winning author of over a dozen books. The founder and publisher of January Magazine and a contributing editor to the crime fiction blog The Rap Sheet, she is best known for her strong female protagonists in the thriller genre. Richards is from Vancouver, Canada and currently makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona. New for 2024: INSENSIBLE LOSS, the fourth book in the Endings series featuring a reluctant hit woman struggling towards the light. Linda’s 2021 novel, the first in this series, ENDINGS, was recently optioned by a major studio for series production. Richards is an accomplished horsewoman and an avid tennis player, and is on the National Board of Sisters in Crime.

Catch Up With Linda L. Richards:
LindaLRichards.com

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This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Linda L. Richards. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited. The giveaway is for: $20 Amazon.com Gift Card, US Mailing Addresses Only

The Three Investigators by Robert Arthur #giveaway #bookseries #middlegrade

 

 The Three Investigators series are a wonderful and wholesome mix of adventure, mystery, comedy, and critical thinking/detection. They enthralled several generations of readers worldwide – and in these new 60th-anniversary editions, they are again ready to take on the world!

                                                              The Secret of Terror Castle

The Three Investigators Book 1

Genre: Middle Grade Mysteries with a Supernatural hook

 In the first adventure of Robert Arthur’s classic mystery series, it's 1964 in the town of Rocky Beach, California. Working out of their newly established Headquarters – an old trailer hidden behind carefully arranged junk in the Jones Salvage Yard – and driven around southern California in a gold-plated vintage Rolls Royce they've won the use of in a contest, Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews decide to get publicity for their fledgling detective firm by finding a real haunted house for the renowned film director Reginald Clarke.

But although the highly rational Jupiter starts with the belief that there is no such thing as a ghost, a spook, a phantom, or a spirit, Terror Castle – the old mansion supposedly troubled by the ghost of the late Stephen Terrill, the silent horror film star called the Man with a Million Faces – may prove him wrong!

By turns exciting, spine-tingling, and humorous, The Secret of Terror Castle promises to please not only the existing fan base of The Three Investigators series but a whole new generation of readers who will find in its pages three very different boys whose imagination, courage, and intelligence can remind us that curiosity, perseverance, and rational inquiry are just as vital as friendship and cooperation.

At the end of each Three Investigators book published by Hollow Tree Press are notes written by Robert Arthur's daughter and son-in-law, exploring three subjects connected to the story – in this case, Silent Movies, Salvage Yards, and Rolls Royces – and young readers may want to use the notes as guidelines for further investigation. After all, the motto of The Three Investigators is "We Investigate Anything," and their trademark is “???” – three question marks, taken together.

On the 60th anniversary of the creation of The Three Investigators series, the first-ever English-language e-book editions of Robert Arthur’s novels, as well as the first new English-language print editions in over twenty-five years, stand ready to delight a whole new audience. Be sure to seek out all ten titles!

Amazon * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot

The Three Investigators Book 2  

 In the second adventure of Robert Arthur’s classic mystery series, Jupiter, Pete and Bob are in search of a missing parrot. The case soon gets complicated as they discover that not one but six talking parrots and a mynah bird have disappeared.

With the help of their new friend Carlos, the Three Investigators figure out that each of the birds has been taught to recite part of a complex puzzle, that, when taken together, could lead the boys to a great painting. But as their search takes them to a spooky graveyard, they're not the only ones hot on the trail!

By turns puzzling, compelling, and absorbing, The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot promises to please not only the existing fan base of The Three Investigators series but a whole new generation of readers who will find in its pages three very different boys whose imagination, courage, and intelligence can remind us that curiosity, perseverance, and rational inquiry are just as vital as friendship and cooperation.

At the end of each Three Investigators book published by Hollow Tree Press are notes written by Robert Arthur's daughter and son-in-law, exploring three subjects connected to the story - in this case, Puzzles and Word Games, Parrots, and Sherlock Holmes - and young readers may want to use these notes as guidelines for further investigation. After all, the motto of The Three Investigators is "We Investigate Anything," and their trademark is “???” - three question marks, taken together.

On the 60th anniversary of the creation of The Three Investigators series, the first-ever English-language e-book editions of Robert Arthur’s novels, as well as the first new English-language print editions in over twenty-five years, stand ready to delight a whole new audience. Be sure to seek out all ten titles!

Amazon *Goodreads

**Don’t miss the rest of the series!**

ROBERT ARTHUR is best known as the creator of THE THREE INVESTIGATORS, the classic mystery series for young readers, for which he wrote the first ten books before his untimely death in 1969. By the time the last English-language-original book was published in the late 1980s, there were forty-three titles, some of which had been translated into over twenty languages.

Young readers in the U.S., Canada, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia, as well as in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Spanish-speaking world grew up on the books, and many credit their lifetime love of reading to having discovered the story of three young American boys who form a detective agency.

Robert Arthur got the idea for the series while working in Hollywood as a story editor, showrunner, and scriptwriter for Alfred Hitchcock's TV show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1963, he left Hollywood and moved to Cape May, New Jersey, where, in a brown-shingled house two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, he created The Three Investigators. The Secret of Terror Castle and  The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot were published in 1964 by Random House. The series' original title was ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE THREE INVESTIGATORS.

The books have supernatural hooks -- haunted houses, whispering mummies, gnomes, ghosts riding carousels, screaming clocks, talking skulls -- that turn out, after closer examination, to have rational explanations.

From his memories of his years in southern California, Arthur created the small fictional town of Rocky Beach, not far from Hollywood. His disbelief and dismay at the way old houses were being torn down and their contents junked resulted in his placing The Three Investigators Headquarters in a salvage yard, where all sorts of goods have been reclaimed and are for sale. He based his head investigator, Jupiter Jones, on his idea of a young American Sherlock Holmes, and the boy who keeps records and does research -- Bob Andrews -- he based on himself (they have the same initials!)

The books are a wonderful and wholesome mix of adventure, mystery, comedy, and critical thinking/detection. They enthralled several generations of readers worldwide – and in this new 60th-anniversary edition, they are again ready to take on the world.

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