COMING IN NOVEMBER: Resurrecting Picture Book Month! #PictureBookEmbassador #NationalPictureBookMonth #PictureBookMonth #November #DianneCasas

Hello my dear readers!

Dianne de Las Casas was a well-known children's book author and story teller who founded National Picture Book Month. I was an ambassador for the effort. Her efforts for the love of reading and telling stories to children became so well known nation wide, that the ALA joined her in her celebration.

Sadly, she passed away in 2017 and the links to her dot com no longer exists.

However, in her honor and my personal love for reading, I want to resurrect Picture Book Month. I do not wish to step in her shoes but to start a new legacy in her footsteps. I feel children not only need to read as a fundamental piece in life, to imagine new places in the world, to laugh, to cry, to understand life, but also to see their own stories in books. I want children to have a passion for reading and celebrating picture books is the beginning of that very idea.

So, as of today, I am announcing the new November Picture Book Month in memory of Dianne de Las Casas. If you would like to join me, simply copy the photo above that she created initially, put in on your blog and social media, and then make some sort of post. Please makes sure to link back to this posting.

I will be sharing picture books all month long including some books that Dianne had written. In your own posts share at least one picture book. AUTHORS: If you would like for me to include your picture books, simply contact me at nailamoon1968 at gmail dot com.

Thanks to all those who loved her but more importantly, who loved (as she did) picture books!

Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Grandma Is Acting Funny by Lori Aden & Sheila Parsley #Giveaway #spotlight #Alzheimers #Childrensbooks

 

Grandma Is Acting Funny: The Beginning Stage

A Children's View of Alzheimer's

by Lori Aden & Sheila Parsley

Genre: Children's Picture Book, Alzheimer's 

Little Dreya has been noticing that her grandma is starting to act funny, but she doesn’t know why. Her family explains that all these new funny and strange behaviors are a result of an illness called Alzheimer’s. In this first book, Dreya notices that Grandma forgets her name, loses track of things, and asks questions over and over again. Join Dreya and her whimsical family as she shares a heartwarming story of her memories with Grandma before Alzheimer's along with the new behaviors she is noticing in the beginning stage of this disease.

Get it HERE!

Grandma Is Acting Funny: The Middle Stage

A Children's View of Alzheimer's

  Little Dreya's grandma is still acting funny and strange. She learns that her grandma is now moving into the Middle Stage of Alzheimer's. In this second book of the series, Dreya shares some of these behaviors, such as how her grandma got lost one day, doesn't want to take baths and doesn't like to eat her broccoli anymore. Join Dreya and her whimsical family as she explains how she feels when she notices these unusual behaviors.

Get it HERE!

Grandma Is Acting Funny: The Late Stage

A Children's View of Alzheimer's

Little Dreya’s grandma is now in the Late Stage of Alzheimer’s and her funny and strange behavior continues. In this third and final book of the series, Dreya shares how her grandma puts her clothes on backwards, forgets simple tasks like how to eat, and doesn’t talk clearly anymore. Join Dreya as she shares these and other behaviors about the Late Stage of Alzheimer’s.

Get it HERE!

Dr. Lori Aden is an educator by trade with over 30 years of experience in K12 and higher education. With a master's degree in Education Technology and a doctorate in Teacher Leadership, Lori used her education experience to research Alzheimer's caregiving from many different perspectives while caring for her mother. Lori successfully completed the EssentialALZ@ Alzheimer's Association Training and Certification program to become a more knowledgeable advocate for Alzheimer's caregiving and education. She works full-time as a program coordinator for one of the largest education service centers in Texas and part-time as an adjunct instructor for a community college. However, her proudest roles are wife, sister, mom, and nana. Most importantly, she is the devoted daughter of Marylin, who is the inspiration behind this book series and her first book, "I Remember Me - The Mom Chronicles."

Sheila Parsley, sister of co-author Lori, earned a master's degree in Counseling and has worked in the mental health field for over 23 years. Sheila successfully completed the EssentialALZ@ Alzheimer's Association Training and Certification program. When she is not working, she can be found reading or in the kitchen baking for family and friends with her Texas Cottage Bakery business called "Treasured Treats and Trinkets." She loves all things dragons and was the inspiration behind using a whimsical dragon family for this book series. Sheila was an integral part of the caregiving for her mother, Marylin. She would drive to Dallas every other weekend for over six years to spend valuable time with her mom and give her sister and brother-in-law respite breaks.

Website * Lori's Amazon * Sheila's Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

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#Spotlight: Deadly Traditions by (Several authors) #giveaway #anthology #Cozymystery

Deadly Traditions: A Cozy Mystery Christmas Anthology

Cozy Mysteries

Grace Abraham Publishing (September 27, 2022)

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B2LHQ2G9

Purchase Link - Amazon

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Have yourself a DEADLY little Christmas.

 

Celebrate the holidays with mistletoe, mayhem, and murder. Join your favorite authors as they

cozy up by the fire with twelve festive short mysteries that feature treasured holiday traditions.

Serve up a slice of fatal fruitcake and deck the halls with danger, because the holiday season has

never been so much fun.

 

This original collection is available for a limited time only, so grab your copy today.

Includes:

A Pickle in a Pear Tree by Erin Scoggins

Mistletoe and Murder by Dianne Ascroft

O Deadly Night by Estelle Richards

Larceny and Gingerbread Lattes by Justine Maxwell

Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas by Gayle Leeson

About the Authors

About Gayle Leeson

Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. Gayle has also written as Amanda Lee. She is

currently writing the Kinsey Falls chick-lit/women's fiction series, the Down South Cafe cozy

mystery series, and the Ghostly Fashionista cozy mystery series. Her book KILLER WEDDING

CAKE won the Bronze Medal in the 20th Anniversary IPPY Awards. Gayle lives in Southwest

Virginia with her family and enjoys hearing from readers.

About Mollie Cox Bryan

Mollie Cox Bryan writes cozy mysteries with edge. She's the author of several bestselling

mystery series, also writing under the pen name Maggie Blackburn. Her books have been

selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10

Beach Reads by Woman's World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People's

Choice Award. She's also penned a historical fiction: MEMORY OF LIGHT: AN

AFTERMATH OF GETTYSBURG. She's the mother of two nearly perfect daughters, each

pursuing careers in music.

About Erin Scoggins

USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Scoggins is a long-time Southerner with a fondness for

offbeat humor and fresh fried chicken. After fifteen years in marketing with a Fortune 500

company, she traded her MBA for fictional crime scenes and feisty small-town families. She

writes fun, flirty mysteries that are celebrations of food, family, and the killer South.

Visit her at www.erinscoggins.com for book news and shenanigans.

About Estelle Richards

Estelle Richards lives in the beautiful American Southwest and writes cozy mysteries. Connect

with Estelle at estellerichards.com 

About Justine Maxwell

Justine Maxwell writes cozy mysteries with brave heroines, strong family bonds, and a touch of

romance. She has degrees in psychology from Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon

University. She hopes to one day become a reclusive author in a mountain cabin near Flagstaff,

AZ. Until then, she'll be a busy mom of four small children and one (allegedly) hypoallergenic

pup, writing in the midst of chaos.

About Wendy H. Jones

International Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police

procedural series featuring DI Shona McKenzie are set.Wendy has led a varied and adventurous

life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After

six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years.

Killer's Countdown was her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mysteries.

Killer's Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2017. The seventh book in the series.

Killer's Curse will be released early august 2020. The Dagger's Curse, the first book in The

Fergus and Flora Mysteries, was a finalist in the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award

Book of the Year. Turning to humorous crime the Cass Claymore Investigates series was born.

She is also a highly successful marketer and is currently in the process of rereleasing her

completely updated marketing book Marketing Matters. This will be part of the Writing Matters

Series following the release of Motivation Matters. She is also the author of the Bertie the

Buffalo picture book and associated soft toy and colouring book. Wendy is delighted to be one of

the authors in two anthologies aimed at empowering women - The Power of Why, and Women

Win Against All Odds. She is proud to be the President of the Scottish Association of Writers

and is the host of The Writing and Marketing Show podcast, a writing and marketing coach. and

CEO of Writing Matters online writing school, Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy.

Dianne Ascroft

Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian writer living in Britain. Since moving to Britain in 1990 she has

lived in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Online she can be found at

http://www.dianneascroft.com.

She writes cozy mystery, historical and contemporary fiction, often with an Irish connection. Her

non-fiction articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and

regional newspapers including the Toronto Star, Ireland's Own, Senior Times, Celtic Connection

and Irish Connections Canada.

She was co-editor of The Fermanagh Miscellany, the Fermanagh Authors' Association's yearly

anthology for several years and she also contributes material to other local history and writers'

anthologies.

Dianne is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, Historical Novel

Society, Writers Abroad, Fermanagh Authors' Association and Fermanagh Writers.

Dianne started life in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the buzzing city of Toronto and has

progressively moved to smaller places through the years. She now lives on a small farm in

Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong willed animals. If she ever

decides to write her autobiography the working title will be 'Downsizing'.

Sam Cheever

USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and

suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for

writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-

winning author of 80+ books.

NEWSLETTER: Join Sam's Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up

with her appearances, enjoy special content, and get previews of her upcoming work!

https://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html

Giveaway:

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Photo Finish by Lori Roberts Herbst #guestpost #giveaway #cozymysteries

4th in Series
Setting – Colorado

Independently Published (September 13, 2022)
Number of Pages: 310
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6DDSK75

Hello my readers and followers. I am once again hosting a guest to my blog. This time it is author, Lori Roberts Herbst. She has written and is currently touring her newest book, Photo Finish. 

She is here to discuss character development for her books. If you would like to know more about her and/or purchase her books, the links are below this post. 

Welcome Lori and take it away.

~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

_____________________________________

A group of journalism students recently interviewed me, one of whom asked me about creating characters. "How do you come up with them? Are they based on people from your life?"

The creative process has always fascinated me, so these were questions I'd considered many times as a reader. Every author is different, I'm sure, but this is how I invent the people who populate my books.

Sometimes, a character fills a need in a story line. It's as if I'm creating a puzzle piece in the shape of a hole in a pre-imagined picture. Mrs. Finney offers a good example. When I was writing Suitable for Framing, the first book in the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, I knew Callie needed a human helper, someone who wasn't what she seemed. A person began taking shape in my imagination—a quirky older woman, always dressed in shades of purple polyester and spouting philosophical axioms. An outsider might see her as benign and unassuming, but her unexpected past left her with...a certain skill set, as they say. When I created Mrs. Finney, I intended her to leave town after book one. Then I fell in love with her, and so did readers. Now, Mrs. Finney is in Rock Creek Village to stay.

Other characters come to life as personifications of certain traits I want to portray: narcissism, arrogance, vengeance, desperation. I build brand new people around these core qualities, always striving to keep the characters from becoming caricatures. Like twins Banner and Braden Ratliff, these people may start as a mere means to an end, but I add layers until they are three-dimensional. At least, that's the goal.

The inspiration for some characters springs from a conglomeration of actual humans I've known, but I'm not usually consciously aware of that. It's as if I'm rummaging around in a big box of acquaintances, past and present, and I snag someone who interests me. I'll pluck that person from the mental box and squeeze out their fascinating elements. Then I'll grab someone else and squeeze, then another person. At the end, I've given birth to a unique character.

Rarely do I base characters on real people in my life. Two exceptions would be Maggie and Butch Cassidy. Callie's mom and dad are patterned after my own parents, both of whom have passed away. Maggie carries my mother's dry wit, her unconditional love, and her sharp intellect. And when Butch rushes outside into the frigid, snowy weather to start his daughter's car for her, it's something my father would have done. These two characters serve as tributes and legacies.

Another question the journalism students asked is whether my protagonist, Callie Cassidy, is a fictionalized version of me. It's a tough question, and the answer isn't yes or no. They say write what you know, and to a degree, that's true of Callie. She has a journalism background, and I was a high-school journalism teacher for many years, including photography. While I never pursued Callie's career, I was familiar with the field. As far as personality, Callie and I share a few attributes. The prospect of exercise or healthy eating does not appeal to either of us, but we force ourselves into it—occasionally. We are both sometimes short on patience. We love a good mystery, though Callie is apt to get physically involved in solving it, while I would rather sit back and pull the strings from afar. Most important, we are both imperfect human beings striving to grow.

Writing mysteries is a multi-faceted endeavor that involves coming up with a believable plot, a satisfying resolution, a visual setting, and so many other elements. But for me, the most enjoyable part is creating characters that I would want to know in real life and some I'd run away from as fast as I could.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lori Roberts Herbst, who writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, spent much of her life writing, editing, and psychoanalyzing. Through thirty years of teaching journalism, advising newspaper and yearbook staff, instructing budding photographers, and counseling teenagers, she still managed to hang on to a modicum of sanity. Her books have earned first-place CIBA awards in the Murder and Mayhem division. She currently serves as secretary of the Sisters in Crime North Dallas chapter and is a member of the Sisters in Crime Guppies and the Mystery Writers of America.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.lorirobertsherbst.com

Purchase Link – Amazon

Giveaway: Reading Authors Network is not responsible for prize distribution. If you are the winner, you will be notified by email that you are required to enter. All emails will be erased after the giveaway is over. Giveaway ends: Sept 19th at Midnight AZ time.Only 18+ may enter this giveaway. It is open to US & Canada. ONLY A KINDLE VERSION will be given no substitutions. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Meld: Magic, Please by Kelley Kay Bowles #Giveaway #YA #Paranormal #spotlight

About The Meld: Magic, Please

Young Adult Paranormal 1st in Series Setting - The fictional Mountain West town of Pinewood, Colorado 

All Things That Matter Press (July 3, 2022) 

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 143 pages 

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8986288529 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B5RZPXCX

The Meld, an otherworldly group of six, has gathered in the past millennium to bestow gifts on the most interesting of all populations: adolescents. The Meld members comprise a yin/yang of deadly behaviors which qualified their membership: half took lives for noble reasons, half for selfish ones. They completed their circle with Delilah Mackley in 1962 and have since been operating at full strength to give a supernatural gift to their chosen charges. This time, they choose Colorado sophomore Millie Mahoney.

The murder of Millie’s mother and the resultant self-destruction of her father have rendered her life chaotic, which Millie fights by immersing herself in her great passion: words and their power. The Meld gives her the ability for her words to become real:

Everything she writes comes true.

While she’s too smart to bring her mother back to life, Millie does look for a way to heal her family … and maybe catch the loving attention of Derek Samson while she’s at it.

About Kelley Kay Bowles

Kelley (Kelley Kaye, Kelley Kay Bowles, Kelley Gusich) taught High School English and Drama for twenty years in Colorado and California, but her love for storytelling dates back to creating captions for her high school yearbook. Maybe back to the tales she created around her Barbie and Ken. A 1994 MS diagnosis and many years of fertility struggles have (circuitously) brought Kelley, finally, to the life of writer and mother, both of which she adores. Death by Diploma, released by Red Adept Publishing in February 2016 and #1 for cozy mystery on Amazon in August that same year, is her debut cozy mystery, first in the Chalkboard Outlines® series. Book 2, Poison by Punctuation, was released on April 24, 2018, and the latest, Strangled by Simile, was released in March 2022. Her debut Young Adult Paranormal, Down in the Belly of the Whale, received the 2017 Indie Book of the Year from Aionios Books, which published the book on May 5, 2018. The first of The Meld YA Paranormal series: Magic, Please, was released July 3, 2022.

She’s also working with her husband to raise two active and busy teenage sons. 

  Author Links Website - https://kelleykaybowles.com/ 

GoodReads Link -  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1380492.Kelley_Kay_Bowles 

  Purchase Link - Amazon  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Herlot of Alonia by Maria Rosestone #YAFantasy #spotlight

 

The Herlot of Alonia Series, Book 1

Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy

Published: April 7, 2020

Publisher: Book Baby

 

Experience a heroine's journey through magic, battle, and ancient secrets in HERLOT OF ALONIA, the first book in a medieval fantasy series.

In the small village of Alonia, tucked away in the kingdom of Eraska, a baby girl named Herlot is born into the world beneath a full moon and a grove of willow trees. Herlot is healthy and clearly touched by magic, which forever marks her as an outsider. The people of Alonia worry that the strange events that surround Herlot mean she is a bad omen, but Herlot learns to rely on her imagination and makes new friends, like the unicorn Devotio, folding herself into the magical world around her.

“No matter what happens, the stars can see you....You’re never alone.”

Just as Herlot turns eighteen and has found her place in her village, the kingdom of Eraska is invaded by the evil King Felix--a man willing to perform unspeakable acts in his search for a source of power to conquer all. It is time for Herlot to find her voice, embrace her magic, and save her people.

 

Praise for Herlot of Alonia:

“Herlot of Alonia breathes new life into the meaning of magic, belief, and freedom told through an epic adventure that delivers action-packed moments, a journey of self-discovery for a dazzling heroine, and a heartwarming bond with a unicorn." - Liz Konkel

"Rosestone has crafted a truly enchanting novel that encompasses everything that a traditional fantasy tale ought to have but also expands into so much more of an emotive coming of age tale… [An] inspiring and engaging tale that is pure magic on every page. Overall, I'd highly recommend Herlot of Alonia for fantasy fans everywhere." - K.C. Finn

"Herlot of Alonia is without a doubt a classic tale reminiscent of the wondrous adventures of The Lord Of The Rings. Steeped in the small kingdom of Eraska, we fall under the spell of Herlot, her family, friends, and the magical creatures that surround her, as she grows up in a land where riches are measured by the contents of souls, and gold is taboo to all.” - Steven Robson, Reader’s Favorite

About the Author

Maria Rosestone is a historian and instructional designer who can always be found with a book. She particularly likes ancient and medieval history. If she is not researching or writing, she loves to go for nature walks with her family and dog.

Contact Links

Website

 

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

The Adventures of Nicky + Charlie Through the Sprinkler by Charlie (Sarah Grace) #spotlight #giveaway

 

The Adventures of Nicky and Charlie Through the Sprinkler

by Charlie (Sarah Grace)

Genre: Children's Fantasy Picture Book 

This book is the first in the series about two young brothers who beat the heat on a lazy summer day by using their imaginations to travel to different lands by transporting through a magic sprinkler. The pictures are meant to look like one of the boys drew them to help make the book more relatable to children and inspire imagination.

**Get it on Sale Now and get FREE stickers and bookmarks!**

Amazon  Website Goodreads

Sarah Grace enjoys a variety of writing. Sarah is a mother of 3, and has worked in multiple careers. Sarah has a Master's Degree from National Louis University and she loves music, traveling and her family and friends. This story is based on games from her childhood.

This story is special because it transports adults back to the free and innocent play of their childhoods. Parents can enjoy it with their children and appreciate a sense of nostalgia while children expand their imagination and experience entertainment without a screen. It is designed to look like the characters drew the pictures to inspire creativity! 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Signed copy of the book with custom stickers and bookmarks,

$10 Amazon giftcard,

1 winner each! 

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