Monday, June 11, 2018

#Review: Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan #Middlegrade #Fairytales #graphicnovel


Summary:
The scene: New York City. The dazzling lights cast shadows that grow ever darker as the glitzy prosperity of the Roaring Twenties screeches to a halt. Enter a cast of familiar characters: a young girl, Samantha White, returning after being sent away by her cruel stepmother, the Queen of the Follies, years earlier; her father, the King of Wall Street, who survives the stock market crash only to suffer a strange and sudden death; seven street urchins, brave protectors for a girl as pure as snow; and a mysterious stock ticker that holds the stepmother in its thrall, churning out ticker tape imprinted with the wicked words “Another . . . More Beautiful . . . KILL.” In a moody, cinematic new telling of a beloved fairy tale, extraordinary graphic novelist Matt Phelan captures the essence of classic film noir on the page—and draws a striking distinction between good and evil.


My Review:
This book is a terrific twist on the classic fairy tale, Snow White. 

Set in the 1920's Depression Era, Snow is the daughter of a Wallstreet tycoon. Her step-mother is a former Zigfield Follies star, and her rescuers (Seven in all) are a group of ragtag muffins that run the streets. I love this setting and it fits well with the retelling of the classic story.

 The author did the whole book in muted, black, grey, and white watercolor which to me, gave a nod to that time period. The whole book is done with pictures and very few words, which are really not needed due to the author's excellent work. Even though I generally do not read graphic novels, I would like to read more from this author. 

Disclosure: I picked up a copy of this book at my local library. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle aka Naila Moon

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

#Spotlight: Selah's Painted Dream by Susan Count #YA #Middlegrade


Title: Selah's Painted Dream (Dream Horse Adventures, Book 3) | 
 Publication Date: May 7, 2018 | Genre: Children's Novel | Number of Pages: 174

Description:
Thirteen-year-old Selah’s life is about as perfect as it gets. She has horsy friends at school, and on weekends, she rides her black mare on Grandpa’s farm. Training the horse to do upper-level liberty work is what makes her heart beat.

But one word can ruin a perfect life—moving.

A move would separate her from her horse, so she plots to get her name on the farm mailbox instead. She’s sure she could persuade Grandpa—except he’s overly distracted by a sheep-loving neighbor.

Determined not to let Grandpa's new sweetheart take her place in his heart, Selah puts her hope in a painted dream horse from Grandpa’s past. When she snugs up the girth and buckles on her spurs, Selah rides to win.




Other books in the series...

A story of love and determination in the face of adversity that will steal your heart.

Twelve-year-old Mary longs to have a horse of her own, but she's limited to reading horse books. A talented artist, she spends her days on a blanket in the grass sketching the horses at the farm next door. She falls in love with one of the foals and is outraged to learn the filly is considered worthless as it was born lame.

Mary befriends and enlists the help of twelve-year-old Laura, whose family owns the horse farm. Against the better judgment of the farm manager, a brief reprieve is negotiated for the foal's life. The girls conspire to raise money to save her, but time is running out. Sadly, it appears the expensive surgery the foal needs has little chance to correct the problem anyway. Mary isn't about to let her own disability hold her back. She sacrifices what she holds dear - the trust of her papa, to gain her heart's desire. But she could lose everything in her struggle to save the foal.

TxAuthors Best Book Award Winner for 2017 - Juvenile - Coming of Age
Feathered Quill - 2017 GOLD Award - Children's Fiction - Animals
Purple Dragonfly - 2017 First Place - Disability Awarenes



A delightful read. Plenty of twists and turns which makes the book a great little adventure. Selah embodies perseverance, hope, determination, compassion, and spunk.

Twelve-Year-Old SELAH'S quest to be equestrian superstar is impossible without a horse. Then she spots buzzards circling in the grasslands behind Grandpa's farm. They're stalking a horse trapped in wire and Selah is its only hope. But the mare she rescues might be a bigger challenge to her dream than not having a horse at all. When an old friend of Grandpa's and a world renowned horse trainer offers to work with the wild and defiant mare, Selah jumps at the opportunity. She trains with a fierce determination to equal the equestrian talent of the deceased grandmother who instilled the love of horses in her. But when the horse causes mayhem at the trainer's facility, he sends them home. Selah must gather her courage and face up to the trainer or watch her dreams gallop away.

American Horse Publications - FIRST PLACE - Equine Fiction..... Feathered Quill - GOLD Award.....Readers Favorites - GOLD Award.....



About the Author

As a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Texas Association of Authors, I take studying the craft of writing seriously. Revision is my super-power.

Instilled with the need to create, I love building projects and writing adventure stories. I’m a life-long equestrian and owned by a Rocky Mountain Horse. I adore grandchildren, horses, bunnies, mochas, and forest trails.

I’ve published three books in an equestrian series. I write at an antique secretary desk that occupies a glass room with a forest view. Fittingly, it once belonged to the same wise grandmother who introduced me to the love of reading via Walter Farley's horse books. That desk has secret compartments which hold memories, mysteries, and story ideas.


Thursday, May 24, 2018

Legal Disclosure Policy

As I am sure all of you have heard by now and email been flooded, that we have to comply with the EU's legal policy disclosure especially if your blog is open internationally to those nations. Therefore, this page is serving that purpose and what it means for you and how I disclose or not disclose your information.

Note: If you need to update your own policies, I will direct you HERE who explains in detail and much time-consuming research what to do.

Legal Disclosure Policy for Naila Moon aka M.M. Hudson (Michelle) of Reading Authors
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Naila Moon aka M.M. Hudson (Michelle) of Reading Authors does accept paid advertising and products for review. Advertising has zero influence on the products/books I accept for review and the subsequent rating of those products or books.
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This policy is in effect and update: 5/24/18
The policy will remain in effect from this date forward and update as necessary.
Naila Moon aka M.M. Hudson (Michelle) of Reading Authors

Friday, May 4, 2018

Book Blast and #Giveaway:Shadow Girl by Gerry Schmitt #Thriller #BookBlast



Shadow Girl (An Afton Tangler Thriller) Suspense/Thriller 2nd in Series Hardcover: 320 pages ISBN-13: 978-0425281789 Paperback: 320 pages (May 1, 2018) ISBN-13: 978-0425281796 
The brutal murder of a business tycoon leaves Afton Tangler and the Twin Cities reeling, but that’s just the beginning of a gruesome crime spree...
Leland Odin made his fortune launching a home shopping network, but his millions can’t save his life. On the list for a transplant, the ailing businessman sees all hope lost when the helicopter carrying his donor heart is shot out of the sky.
Now with two pilots dead and dozens injured, Afton Tangler, family liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, is drawn into the case. As she and her partner investigate family members and business associates, whoever wants Leland dead strikes again—and succeeds—in a brazen hospital room attack.
The supposedly squeaky clean millionaire has crossed the wrong person—and she’s not finished exacting her revenge. The case explodes into an international conspiracy of unbridled greed and violence. And as Afton gets closer to unearthing the mastermind behind it, she gets closer to becoming collateral damage...

About The Author

Gerry Schmitt is the author of the Afton Tangler Thrillers, and, writing under the pseudonym Laura Childs, the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five novels, the Tea Shop, Scrapbooking, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. She is the former CEO of her own marketing firm, has won TV and radio awards, and produced two reality TV shows. She and her professor husband enjoy collecting art, travel, and their two Shar-Pei dogs.

Author Links - WebsiteFacebook Purchase Links Amazon 




Tuesday, March 20, 2018

#Spotlight and #Giveaway: The Gorilla Picked Me by Michele McAvoy #BookBlast



Children’s Picture Book
Date Published: Spring 2018

Olive felt ordinary. Always last to be picked for teams at recess and never a Valentine placed on her desk. Olive blended in. Until one day at a daddy-daughter dance, the dancing gorilla picked her from the crowd! 
He scooped her up and twirled her around the dance floor. Olive's soul sang! THE GORILLA PICKED ME is a fun, sentimental story that reminds little girls that they are all worthy of attention.  No little girl is ordinary! 


Michele McAvoy is an award-winning children's picture book author. Her debut picture book MY SUPERHERO GRANDPA received a 2016 Moonbeam Children's Book Award. Michele grew up in a small town in northern New Jersey until she moved to New York City where she attended NYU and law school. Michele enjoyed the crazy, busy, single life of New York for over 15 years until she got married and had her first child.
With a small one bedroom apartment and a baby that did not sleep, Michele moved back to her small hometown. She settled back to her roots and traded in the noisy city streets of NY and extra dirty martinis at trendy bars for manicured lawns and backyard BBQs. When she's not being a lawyer or a mom, Michele writes uplifting, whimsical stories to help children understand and respect their emotions. You can see more about Michele and her books at www.michelemcavoy.com




Purchase Links

GIVEAWAY
RABT Book Tours & PR

Thursday, March 15, 2018

#Spotlight: Murder On St. Patrick's Day by Pauline Creeden #CozyMysteries




Ridgeway Rescue Mysteries can be read in 1-2 hours. Perfect for when you're waiting for an appointment or just want a fast read. Don't miss out on this quick, clean, cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!

It's St. Patrick's Day and 20-year-old Emma Wright is working hard at training five-month-old Molly, her foster puppy, to become a therapy dog. But her training coach and neighbor gets an emergency call, cutting the lesson short, and Emma volunteers to pick up her daughter at a St. Patrick's Day concert in town.

When Emma arrives, the concert has just finished up, and the teenage girls are visiting with the band. Then the lead singer stumbles and falls to the ground, dead. Emma becomes the only level head in the crowd and calls for help.

When the Sheriff and Colby arrive, they investigate it as a potential accident. But Emma finds subtle clues that something more sinister is going on. Did the leader of the band die in an accident, or was it murder?

Get it on Amazon (also in Kindle Unlimited) 


Pauline Creeden

P. Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.  

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

#Review & #Giveaway: Pawprints and Predicaments #CozyMystery


Summary:

It’s the first-ever polar bear plunge in Lake Wallapawakee, and Daphne and Lauren Savidge (TV producer filming the festivities) are among the eighty or so people who charge into the frigid water to raise funds for animals in need. Daphne barely makes it back to shore—with the help of a mysterious St. Bernard—but Lauren, is dragged out stone cold dead. Now, with her trusty basset hound Socrates at her side, Daphne intends to assist Detective Jonathan Black in his investigation—whether he wants her to or not.



My review:
As an avid lover of fur babies, I was drawn to this cozy mystery because the book highlighted the love of pets throughout the book. In fact, just about every character in the book either owned a pet or came into contact with one. The whole town was considered "pet crazy." This alone gave the book an interesting read.

Getting into the mystery part of the book, I felt it took a little time to get going but with the nice little twists and turns, I kept on reading and glad I did. I absolutely thought I knew who the killer might be and found out in the end how wrong I was. This says a lot for the author as she obviously is capable of weaving words together well.

I found out that this book is a series and this is my first time reading from this author but I enjoyed her very much and look forward to possibly reading more.

4 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy via NetGalley to facilitate my review. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.
~M.M. 
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SEE GIVEAWAY BELOW!

Where to find the author:

Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters and multitude  of pets.