Mistletoe and Martians by Samuel DenHartog #martians #aliens #mars #humor #Christmas #traditions #bookseries

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"A whimsical journey to Snowville, a charming town where the festive spirit of Christmas is about to encounter the curiosity of visitors from Mars. As the Martians land on Earth with a mission to understand the peculiar and heartwarming traditions of Christmas, they find themselves wrapped up in a series of humorous and endearing adventures. From misunderstanding mistletoe to a comical attempt at caroling, their journey is as heartwarming as it is hilarious."

MY REVIEW:

I tend to like martian/alien stories so I thought getting this book would be a fun read. I was not disappointed at all.

Martians land on Earth as they are on an investigation quest. It just so happens they land during the season of Christmas. Fortunately, they are welcomed by the humans and  get immersed in their holiday customs. They even get parts in a nativity play! 

Humor is intertwined as the martians try to navigate their way in understanding and peace. The humans learn some of the ways of "Mars" too. We  all know martians come from Mars! 

I liked this book enough to keep reading it.  It was fun and an extremely light read. I do think if the author had flushed out some of the characters even more, it would have been an "A" book.

I did enjoy the martian characters and their honest mistakes but truly trying to understand. 

What I enjoyed most was the coming together in peace and harmony and the meshing of two very different cultures. This was a great statement on how things really should be.

I give this book 3 stars. 

Disclosure: I purchased a Kindle copy of this book for my own collections. The review here is 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Samuel DenHartog is a versatile and imaginative author whose works span a wide array of genres, including mythology, fables, fairy tales, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, and children's books. His stories captivate readers of all ages, blending wonder with rich, timeless narratives.

I Know A Guy Named Noah by Jeanne Ward #childrensbooks #adventure

PURCHASE LINK

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Follow along with Noah Guy, a character who knows he’s in a book, as he takes you on whimsical adventures where the only limit is your imagination. From riding bulls at the rodeo to joining the circus, Noah shows that anything is possible with a friend by your side.

This charming story celebrates friendship, teamwork, and the power of never giving up. The rhythmic verses are designed to engage young minds, promoting speech, cognitive development, and early literacy skills. Children will love the playful.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

My name is Jeanne Ward, I am a mother of three, grandmother of two and a business owner.  Family is everything to me.  Me and my eldest brother married siblings, creating a unique environment of double cousins and a close-knit family.   I live in Brooklyn NY where I own and operate an Early intervention program for young children with autism.  I opened my school in 1998, and I have all 3 of my siblings, had all 3 of my children, my daughters-in-laws, all my nieces and nephew, and my uncle work there at one time or another.  Additionally, I have my brother and brother-in-law who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the school remains a success.  I am a special educator, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and love what I do for a living.

My eldest are twins.  One lives right outside Asheville North Carolina with his wife and daughter.  He, like me, is a special educator and a BCBA. Although he has a physics degree from NYU, he found a passion working with children with autism after he graduated college and working for me while applying to graduate school.   My other son, my partner in these books has moved back from Nashville Tenn and currently lives in Newburgh NY with his wife and newborn son.  My youngest, Phoenix, will leave for High Point University in North Carolina in a month.   I lost my husband to cancer nearly 6 years ago and I am about to be an empty nester.  It is my sincere hope to spend my days writing Noah Guy stories, running my school and being the best mom and grandma I can be.

Contact Link

Website: https://4noahguy.com/

The Cat's Museum by Viviana Maria Falleti #Review #childrensbooks #cats #animals #museums

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Catherine the Great, in 1766, recruited stray cats to protect her beloved Hermitage Museum from rodents. Generations later, to this day, cats are still working there, protecting the artwork and doing their zany mischief…tune in for a splash of fun!

MY REVIEW:

I am an animal lover and to read a semi-true story about them is so fun. Why do I say "semi?" Well, the story here begins in a museum,which I also love, where a  bunch of cats are taken in to eradicate a at problem within a real museum. The cats who live in the museum to this day, still guard the museums property and are taken care of by the curators of the museum. How cool is that! The cat now roam within the museum for all to adore.

This is what is true. What was not true within the book, was a secondary story that tells of the cats enjoying a yearly romp that included the cats dressing up to party and have a dance. This was fun and made the cats seem more "human" with their gratitude of the yearly feast (which is true).

I enjoyed everything about this book including the descriptive personalities of certain cats and the fact they still live within the museum. Oh would it be great to visit and see them!

The illustrations were large, bold, and colorful. Most of the pages were in different shades of blue and I feel that might have been intentional to describe the museum's colors.

Side note: As I was so enamored with this idea, I did further investigation of the museum. If you would want to read about the cats too, go HERE.

I give this book 5 cats meows.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book from the author. The review here is 100% my own and opinions and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Viviana Maria Falleti is a woman of faith, an insightful children’s storyteller, a lover of all things cats, and an aficionado of splendidly-illustrated books. She aims to produce only the highest quality books, containing wholesome and engaging stories every child is sure to love. The talented world-famous artists she employs bring her wondrous books to life even more. 

Viviana created Little Feather Press for the parent who is ‘hungry for wholesome’. Every book ordered from Little Feather Press can be presented to a child with the assurance that the child’s innocence and the beauty of childhood are respected. The stories entertain in the magical world of a child’s mind, without any corrupting influences.

In her childhood in Germany, Viviana would never tire of listening to storybooks that her mother lovingly read to her. She draws inspiration from those memories. 

Viviana was born in Germany but has lived most of her adult life in America. She has a lovely daughter Ashley and son-in-law Brent, two wonderful nieces Maria and Maria Luisa, and a suave Italian husband Gino. Her current residence is in Southwest Florida. 

Contact Links

Website: https://littlefeatherpress.com/

Purchase Link

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SWEXjg

How to Dream: A Motivational Guide to a Life of Hope Success and Freedom by Deedee Cummings #giveaway #spotlight #selfhelp

 

AMAZON: https://amzn.to/4f1JR7I

Author Website: https://deedeecummings.com/

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19796127.Deedee_Cummings

GIVEAWAY:

HOW TO DREAM Book Tour Giveaway

The Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio #Review #MiddlegradeMysteries #bookseries

SYNOPSIS:

When Hayley gets the lead role in a new TV show called Sadie Solves It, she's so excited...even if there are rumors of hauntings surrounding the Silver Screen Studios. It's LA, she thinks―there are ghost stories everywhere!

But to her surprise, strange things actually start happening as production ramps up. Lights flicker, cold blasts of air come out of nowhere, and one day the electricity is cut to the studio entirely with no clear cause. Can Hayley and her two best friends solve the mystery of the haunted studio...before it means curtains for their show?

MY REVIEW:

I love a good mystery book. This is kind of one of those that has a mystery within a mystery because of the characters that are involved. How cool to have kids that are actors turn sleuths. The story line runs along their "lines" as Haley and her team "solve" the clues in the TV series, real-life clues are revealed.

This book kept me going with each page turn. I wanted to know who done it and just when I think I had it figured out...Twist! I loved the suspense, the fun, all the surprises that went with this book. 

Included in this book were some great illustrations. They were all in black in white but they added to what was already a good book.

I give this book 4 starts.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As it turns out, Haley LeBlanc is actually an actress, artist, and social media star. She has performed in two hit TV series. This is her first in a series of books and at the writing of this book was 13 years old!

Haley lives in LA where in her spare time she hangs out with friends, listens to music, read books, watches mystery and horror films and TV shows and adores her dogs.    PURCHASE

The Power of Three by Teri Polen #YAHorror

 

 

Yesterday, a curse. Today, an inheritance. Tomorrow...may never come.

The Power of Three

by Teri Polen

Genre: YA Horror 

 

Yesterday, a curse. Today, an inheritance. Tomorrow...may never come.

Beck Teller's family bounced from one rental to another his entire life. When his father inherits an ancestral home, he and his siblings are thrilled to finally settle down, especially somewhere his family has roots. And those roots run deep—right to the on-site family cemetery where tombstone dates prove too many members met untimely fates.

When Beck and his two brothers begin experiencing inexplicable things, they grasp for practical explanations. Then their little sister gets a warning from beyond the grave, and the time for rationalizing is over. They pledge to protect their family and set out to identify the source of the danger and a means to defeat it.

They never expected to discover their house is haunted by a vengeful spirit who has vowed to destroy every descendant in the Teller line.

Centuries earlier, three Teller brothers battled the evil entity. Since then, her wrath has caused generations of suffering and untimely deaths. Now, three more Teller brothers will stand against this wicked being. But this time, the curse must be broken. If they win the final fight, they'll banish the malevolent force forever. But if they lose, their family line ends...and they unleash hell on Earth.

 

Amazon * Goodreads

Teri Polen is the author of young adult horror, science fiction, and fantasy novels. Sarah, her debut novel, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. ReadFREE.ly named Subject A36 one of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2020. An avid reader, movie watcher, and chocolate lover, Teri lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband and Feline Overlord, Bond. 

 

Website 

A Room for Murder by Michele Pariza Wacek #giveaway #Cozymysteries #guestpost #bookseries

Already into mid-November and all is well in the cool crisp air, that is in Arizona? Ah well. Today I welcome to my blog the author of "A Room  for Murder".  She is taking over my room (blog) to discuss her book that we are spotlighting today. Welcome one Michele from another Michelle...take it away!

~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Setting - Wisconsin - In the 1990s

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love-Based Publishing (November 2, 2024)

Number of Pages: 100 pages

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMN7TXGY

ABOUT THE BOOK: Charlie' very first case!

Normally Darla, the ghost that haunts the Redemption Inn, behaves herself. Relatively speaking.

Nancy, the owner of the Redemption Inn, swears that Darla is harmless. At least, mostly

harmless. Maybe she plays a few pranks on some unsuspecting guests, but it's all in good fun.

Until one of the hotel guests is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, and Darla is the one who's

blamed.

With the threat of guests cancelling and her business on the line, Nancy turns to Charlie to help

find the real culprit so Darla can rest in peace.

Meet Charlie. Better known as "Aunt Charlie" from the award-winning Secrets of

Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy

mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

Website

Purchase Links 

Author post

Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look at A Room For Murder

A few years ago, one of my author friends reached out to ask me if I’d like to be in an

anthology that was geared around female sleuths.

At the time, I was writing a standalone psychological thriller (The Third Nanny), and I

wasn’t sure where I was going to with my Secrets of Redemption psychological thriller

series (I had just completed Book 5 of what would end up being a 9-book series, but at

the time, I didn’t know I still had four more books to write).

But regardless, neither of those books or projects fit the “female sleuth” theme.

Of course, that didn’t stop me from saying yes. I had six months to figure it out. Surely I

could come up with a female sleuth story that somehow tied into my published books by

then.

And sure enough, about a week later, Charlie Kingsley whispered into my ear, and just

like that, two stories fell into my lap. A Grave Error, which was the first Charlie Kingsley

story and the one that ended up in the anthology, and The Murder Before Christmas,

which ended up being Book 1 of the Charlie Kingsley Mysteries.

When I wrote A Grave Error, I knew that wasn’t Charlie’s first case. The first person who

called Charlie for help was Nancy, who owned The Redemption Inn, as the resident

ghost had been blamed for a murder.

I knew I wanted to write it at some point, I just wasn’t sure when. The series arc that had

been slowly building out would be disrupted, and I was unclear on how it would all fit

together. Could I go back in time even as the series moved forward? How would the

readers react?

But, as these things go, it all fell easily into place when the time was right. Darla made

an appearance in A Cornucopia of Murder, and I knew then that Charlie’s first case had

to be the next book. And I also knew it would be the perfect fit for my Charlie Kingsley

Cozy Novella series, a side series of standalone novellas that cover shorter cases.

And thus, A Room For Murder, is now finally available. Readers will get a peek at how it

all began, from first meeting Wyle to Pat becoming her sidekick.

Giveaway: HERE