#Giveaway & #Spotlight: Hits Heathens and Hippos by Marty Essen #Memoir, Humor

Date Published: February 28, 2021

Publisher: Encante Press, LLC

Be inspired, intrigued, and entertained!

 

Everyone has dreams of what they want to accomplish in life. Marty Essen’s childhood dream of becoming a herpetologist gave way to his dream of becoming a popular DJ, which led to his dream of becoming a big-time talent manager, which morphed into the dream of becoming an in-demand author and college speaker. While he achieved most of his dreams at various levels, he also realized that he didn’t necessarily have to reach the top to find success or happiness. Sometimes “almost” is close enough.

Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer is a humorous and inspirational memoir that explores relationships and careers and how seemingly minor events can lead to life-changing results. Compelling stories have filled Marty’s life, and he tells those stories in a conversational style that combines his talents as an award-winning author with his talents as the creator of a one-man stage show that he has performed at hundreds of colleges across the United States.

This is a must-read for anyone faced with an unexpected career change, worried about finding and keeping the partner of their dreams, forced to take on bullies (whether individual, political, or corporate), eager for ideas to make life more satisfying, or just in search of a fun-filled adventure. 

 

About the Author

Marty Essen began writing professionally in the 1990s as a features writer for Gig Magazine. His first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, won six national awards, and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune named it a "Top Ten Green Book." His second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, won four national awards. His novels, Time Is Irreverent, Time Is Irreverent 2: Jesus Christ, Not Again! and Time Is Irreverent 3: Gone for 16 Seconds are all Amazon #1 Best-Sellers in Political Humor. Hits, Heathens, and Hippos is Marty's sixth book, and like all of his books, it reflects his values of protecting human rights and the environment--and does so with a wry sense of humor. Marty is also a popular college speaker, who has performed the stage-show version of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet on hundreds of campuses in forty-five states.

 

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Finding Family in a Far-Away Land An Adoption Story by Amanda Wall # giveaway #review #memoir #childrens #nonfiction

Synopsis:

Every adoption experience is uniquely different but the yearning to have unconditional family love is universal. Two Indian sisters, Priya and Ari, experience what it's like to be adopted into a multi-cultural, interracial family. Walk alongside these two charming, dynamic girls as they journey through the adoption transition to a new country full of new experiences! 

My review:

My Dad was adopted and I have always been fascinated by adoption stories. That is why I wanted to read and review this book. The story is told in first person from the perspective of Priya, the older of the two sister that were adopted by American parents. (This confused me a little bit as the author's name is not Priya.) 

Priya begins by telling about their life in India prior to their adoption. It was not the best as they lost their parents and for awhile, fended for themselves. They both were sick children. This was a sad beginning to the book but it also highlighted just a small percentage of things that adopted children may have endured.  Eventually sent to an orphanage, the two were adopted and taken to the U.S. on their first airplane ride. It was lucky they were both adopted together.

Fast forward, the girls only being able to speak their own language, navigated many new things and surprises.  The book describes things like pets, foods, and even a trip to the zoo. Priya compares and contrasts all these things and the new wonders. I enjoyed this part of the book very much as this being an international adoption, children would have culture shock. It was nice to learn a little about India as well. What was also nice was to see their new parents embraces their differences but did not try to completely change the girls either.

The book to me seemed to end abruptly but it illustrated at the same time that the girls were doing okay and adjusting to their new lives. At the end of the book there is a glossary of terms. Although a nice addition, I think it would have been better to have them in with the read-a-long.

The illustrations were done by the author in line drawing and water color. They were not overly spectacular but at the same time, they were colorful enough and did well with the story. The simplicity of them fit.

Overall, the book was good and I think it did point out some things about being adopted without going into overly too much detail. However, it reads more like a short memoir than about adoption itself. The book is meant for 4-10 year old's.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The review here is 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle

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FINDING FAMILY IN A FAR-AWAY LAND Book Tour Giveaway

 

 

#Giveaway: @NGKidsBks Dinosaur Books (Ends 9/6)

Welcome To The National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Books Giveaway!

This giveaway is part of our Back to School Gift Guide. Stop by to see all the great giveaways and products!

Take a prehistoric journey with NG Kids to meet amazing dinosaurs! Learn all about these brilliant beasts.

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS

 

Prize:

You Can Be A Paleontologist!: Discovering Dinosaurs With Dr. Scott

Weird But True! Dinosaurs

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book Of Dinosaurs

National Geographic Kids Ultimate Dinopedia

Dino Records: The Most Amazing Prehistoric Creatures Ever To Have Lived On Earth!

 

One Lucky Winner Will Receive a NG Kids Dinosaur Book Bundle Valued at $80+!

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Below Is A List Of All The Bloggers Involved In The Gift Guide

A Rain of Thought, Deliciously Savvy, Giveaway Gator Home Jobs by Mom, Jessica Inspired by Faith, MarksvilleandMe, Michigan Saving and More, My Silly Little Gang, Simply Sherryl, Tales From A Southern Mom, The Stuff of Success, This Frugal Family, Versatileer

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Read The Review Here

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Rules: Use The Rafflecopter Form To Enter Daily. The giveaway ends 9/6 And Is Open To The United States. Entrants Must Be 18 Years Old To Enter. The Winner Will Be Notified Via Email.

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One entrant will be selected by the entry form to win a NG Kids Dinosaur Book Bundle. Open for entry in the United States, 18 years and older from 07/06/21 thru 09/06/21. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media networking site. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the notification email to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. Once a winner is drawn and confirmed, the name will be announced on the Rafflecopter form. NG Kids will be responsible for sending the winners their prizes.

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#Spotlight & #Giveaway: I Can Be Fun STEM Activities for Kids-4 Book Series by Anna Claybourne & Claudia Martin #STEM

I Can Be... Fun STEM Activities for Kids

Children's Activity Books

4 Book Series

Filled with entertaining and educational activities, these full-color books are the perfect way to introduce young children to many of today’s most important STEM subjects.

I Can Be a Math Magician: Fun STEM Activities for Kids

978-0-486-83922-6

 Date Published: 10/16/2019

  Publisher: Dover Publications

 

Math is magical with this colorful activity book! It's easy to entertain family and friends as you complete mysterious number squares and "Magic Multiples," play a prime number card game, and draw fractal trees. This book offers a fun and meaningful way to explore how math is an important part of everyday life.

 

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About the Author Anna Claybourne

Anna Claybourne is an award-winning science writer and has authored many books for Usborne Publishing, A&C Black, and Franklin Watts. She writes mainly nonfiction, covering topics such as science, art, wildlife, and fashion. In addition, she has also published books about Shakespeare, myths and legends, and retellings of literary classics. She is based in Edinburgh.

 

About the Illustrator

Katie Kear is a young British illustrator who has been creating artwork for as long as she can remember. She loves creating new worlds and characters, and she hopes to spread joy and happiness with her art. She is a graduate of the University of Gloucestershire with a First Class BA Hons Illustration degree.

 

About the Author Claudia Martin

Claudia Martin is the author of many books and online articles for children and young adults. Her favorite subjects are history, current affairs, geography, the natural world, and technology. She lives in London with her family.

 

Additional Titles

 

 

  978-0-486-83923-3

I Can Be a Rocket Scientist

Date Published: 10/16/2019

Publisher: Dover Publications

 

Find out what it takes to become a rocket scientist! With this out-of-this-world activity book, you can make a scale model of the solar system, build a prototype rocket from a plastic container, and try real astronaut fitness exercises. You'll discover Earth's place in space, fun facts about the other planets in our solar system, how gravity works, and lots of other fascinating cosmic information.

 

 

978-0-486-83924-0

I Can Be an Awesome Inventor

Date Published: 10/16/2019

Publisher: Dover Publications

 

Put on your thinking cap and get inventive! Make a musical instrument from glass bottles, use a drop of water to create a microscope, develop your own computer programming language, and more! Filled with interesting fun facts and entertaining activities, this book will inspire you to create your own inventions.

 

 

 

978-0-486-83921-9

I Can Be a Science Detective

Date Published: 10/16/2019

Publisher: Dover Publications

 

Do you have what it takes to become a science sleuth? Of course you do! Discover how to gather clues and collect evidence to catch a thief, follow instructions to extract DNA from strawberries, take your own fingerprints, analyze handwriting, and much more. While you're having fun inspecting, detecting, and experimenting, you'll be learning all about the intriguing world of forensic science and its important role in real life.

 

 

 

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Elegy by Christopher Stanfield #YA #Spotlight #Giveaway

 

Elegy

A Season of Angels Book 3

by Christopher Stanfield

Genre: YA Supernatural Thriller, Mystery

Fate. Fear. Family.

Lilith’s daring gamble worked. Hell is broken. But in the aftermath, Lilith must face a disconcerting truth. She may never return to the life she left behind. While the pain of that parting never truly healed, she knows that the end of her dark road is near at hand. It is a road paved in sacrifice and loss. In memory and love. And she knows now where it leads.

But the end isn’t the only fate that Lilith must confront. A peculiar stranger beckons, bringing knowledge of a family secret that will unravel the mysteries of Lilith’s past. And what she discovers will shake her fragile world yet again.

Lucifer, enraged at the loss of the realm he twisted, is more dangerous than ever. He now prepares one last bitter scheme that will herald his most brutal act of all. For Lilith, one thing remains... the last, terrible storm is here. And though Madeline and the Angels are by her side, Lilith must stand alone before the Devil or all she loves will fall at last.

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The Woman in Darkness

A Season of Angels Book 2

The War for Souls has just begun, but time is already running out...

In the wake of one tragic, fateful night, Genevieve leaves behind every aspect of her simple life, including her name. Now she’s known as Lilith, and with the memories of her erased from those she loved, it’s as if she never existed. As she seeks her new purpose, dreams of a sad, broken woman with raven hair--- a woman in a place more terrible than nightmares--- continue to haunt her.

Madeline is a fractured soul trapped in Hell after taking her own life. Lilith believes this stranger may be the key to shattering Lucifer’s hold over that frightful realm. But to find Madeline she’ll need a soul who knows the fetid hellscape. A Demon has been sent. But he must first brave the dark of Hell and survive the madness in himself.

While Lilith sets her daring game in motion, Lucifer plots a scheme that will determine the fate of all souls, both living and in death. Lilith must get to Madeline, fast. For if she fails, there will be no end to the darkness Lucifer will bring.

**Only .99 cents!!**

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The Girl in the Storm

A Season of Angels Book 1

Seventeen-year old Genevieve Reidell loves to paint, and values her closest friends above all, but when a gunman terrorizes her high school, her near-reckless bravery sets her on a path that will change the entire course of her life. Her best friend is shot and dying but when Genevieve holds her, the bleeding stops and the wounds close. But when she tries to save another friend, she can’t. Overcome with guilt Genevieve struggles to understand.

But when a stranger arrives at her home with a mysterious book and an ominous warning, she learns about her destiny. Angels have protected her, but the time has come to unravel the mysteries that have haunted her for years. Genevieve must learn to harness and control her gifts and accept that whatever she does might not be enough. The Devil must be stopped, and Genevieve is ready to walk into the storm. She’s cheated death before, but can she save herself again without losing those she loves?

**Only .99 cents!!**

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Christopher Stanfield is a West Texas native whose love of writing began at the age of fourteen, when inspired by a love of mythology, science fiction and fantasy, he began writing stories by hand whenever the time could be spared. After high school and a brief flirtation with college, he would spend the next eighteen years cultivating a career in Information Security at a small community bank located in his own hometown. But even then, his love of writing endured, and while dreams of characters and stories continued to occupy his imagination, he found an outlet for that creative muse by creating advertising copy for his employer. Through challenges and distractions, hard choices and the rudimentary demands of life, the dream of telling stories never waned. It was and ever remains more than merely a career. With that in mind, he enrolled in the BA Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University, with an eye towards honing his craft and expanding upon his knowledge of the industry so that he might one achieve his dream of becoming published.

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$15 Amazon giftcard ,

Kindle or ePub copies of all three books!

-1 winner each!

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#Spotlight: Born in Salt by T.C. Weber #AlternateHistory

 

Alternate history

Date Published: May 1, 2021

Publisher: Freedom Thorn Press

 

Fifty years after a coup replaced President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a fascist dictatorship, America is a land of hopelessness. Ben Adamson, a 19-year-old farm boy in southern Illinois, wants only to spend his time fishing and hunting. But when his dead brother demands justice for his suspicious fate in a colonial war, Ben and Rachel, his brother’s fiancée, are drawn into an underground revolutionary movement.

After staging a rally against the war, Ben and Rachel are arrested by the Internal Security Service, who have perfected the science of breaking people. Ben is given a choice: betray the rebels, including his best friend from childhood, or Rachel will be lobotomized.

Although traumatized and addicted to a powerful drug, Ben refuses to doom anyone he cares about. Can he find a third option? Can he free Rachel and strike back at the dictatorship, while dodging the suspicions of police and rebels alike?

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About the Author

Ted Weber has pursued writing since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with a little bit of physics. His first published novel was a near-future cyberpunk thriller titled Sleep State Interrupt (See Sharp Press). It was a finalist for the 2017 Compton Crook award for best first science fiction, fantasy, or horror novel. The first sequel, The Wrath of Leviathan, was published in 2018, and the final book, Zero-Day Rising, came out in 2020. He has other books on the way as well. He is a member of Poets & Writers and the Maryland Writers Association, and helps run writing workshops and critique groups. By day, Mr. Weber works as a climate adaptation analyst, and has had a number of scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents. For book samples, short stories, and more, visit https://www.tcweber.com/.

 

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#Spotlight & #Giveaway: Ghosts of Guatemala by Collin Glavac thriller

Spy Thriller

Date Published: 11-25-2019

 

Who can you trust when corruption and danger are a way of life?

The CIA never left Latin America, and is facing catastrophic blackmail at the hands of an erratic Guatemalan drug lord: the infamous patrón of Antigua – Pablo Puentes. Desperate for a swift solution, the agency calls in their black operative fixer: John Carpenter.

John is a cold-blooded professional ready for the job. But the mission doesn’t have a simple fix. Pablo has a disastrous kill switch in place.

John is still haunted by the mysterious death of his best friend who died on a far too similar mission, and now is uncertain about how much he can trust his handler or his sensual partner.

Back at the agency, tensions are running hot as the stench of corruption is growing to a boiling point. If things aren’t put to rights – and soon – the entire mission will go up in flames and take the CIA down with it.

Only John Carpenter can bring this drug lord to justice and get the answers he deserves.

Because this mission is personal…

If you like the relentless tension of Daniel Silva and the gritty reality of Lee Child then you’ll love this first book in the John Carpenter Trilogy!

 

 

About the Author

Collin Glavac is a Canadian born actor and writer who lives in the province of Ontario Canada. He has written, directed and acted in two original stage plays, In Real Life, and LoveSpell. He completed his Dramatic and Liberal Arts B.A. and M.A at Brock University.

Ghosts of Guatemala is his first novel.

Collin loves hearing from readers, so please don't hesitate to contact him by email at: collinglavac@gmail.com

 

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