Haunted Hibiscus (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs #spotlight #Giveaway

 

Haunted Hibiscus (A Tea Shop Mystery) by Laura Childs

About Haunted Hibiscus

Cozy Mystery 22nd in Series

Publisher: Berkley (March 2, 2021)

Hardcover: 336 pages

Tea maven Theodosia Browning brews up trouble in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

 

It is the week before Halloween and Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop, and her tea sommelier, Drayton, are ghosting through the dusk of a cool Charleston evening on their way to the old Bouchard Mansion. Known as the Gray Ghost, this dilapidated place was recently bequeathed to the Heritage Society, and tonight heralds the grand opening of their literary and historical themed haunted house.

 

Though Timothy Neville, the patriarch of the Heritage Society, is not thrilled with the fund-raising idea, it is the perfect venue for his grandniece, Willow French, to sign copies of her new book, Carolina Crimes & Creepers.

 

But amid a parade of characters dressed as Edgar Allan Poe, Lady Macbeth, and the Headless Horseman, Willow's body is suddenly tossed from the third-floor tower room and left to dangle at the end of a rope. Police come screaming in and Theodosia's boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, is sent to Willow's apartment to investigate. But minutes later, he is shot and wounded by a shadowy intruder.

 

Timothy begs Theodosia to investigate, and shaken by Riley's assault, she readily agrees. Now, she questions members of the Heritage Society and a man who claims the mansion is rightfully his, as well as Willow's book publisher and her fiancé, all while hosting a Sherlock Holmes tea and catering several others.

 

But the Gray Ghost holds many secrets, as do several other key suspects, while this murder mystery plays out on the eve of Halloween.

 

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

 

About Laura Childs

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links: Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/ 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Purchase Links Amazon B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

   

 

The Desire Factor by Christy Whitman #review #giveaway #selfhelp

 

Publisher:  Beyond Words Publishing (April 21, 2021)

Category: Self-help, Motivational, Creativity, Inspirational, Non-Fiction

ISBN: 978-1582707594

208 pages

About the book:

There is no limit to the amount of happiness that we, as human beings, can experience. There is no limit to how much love, laughter, excitement, or satisfaction we can feel. This universe is unendingly abundant, which means that it has the ability to yield to us whatever experiences we desire. Why, then, do some people manifest their desires so fluidly and naturally, while others are living lives of struggle, mediocrity, or quiet desperation?

Hard work alone does not guarantee a positive result.  In fact, pushing forward with determination and effort when things are not going as planned usually only makes a bad situation worse. 

My review:

I have read The Secret  and other books about manifesting your own desires. If you would like to learn about manifesting and could use a step by step guide, then this is the book for you. This book builds on those other books but also supports them.

The book is based on seven prime principles which are:

• The Principle of Alignment
• The Principle of Focus
• The Principle of Joyful Expectancy
• The Principle of Having
• The Principle of Loving
• The Principle of Surrender
• The Principle of Action

Each principle is built on top of one another to gain maximum manifestation. The author uses her own life stories to engage the reader in each principle. I was fascinated and (humored) when she wrote about desiring a particular high-end handbag. Again, she wrote step by step, simple language, and guided this reader how to make that happen.

The truth of the matter is, it isn't rocket science!

If you want something as small as a purse or as big as a house, you can have it but you have to do a little work, the first is desiring it. Then make it happen.

Terrific book. 4 stars.

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

About Christy Whitman

Christy Whitman is a Transformational Leader, Celebrity Coach and Law of Attraction expert, as well as the two-time New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Having It All and Taming Your Alpha Bitch. She is also the author of the international bestseller Quantum Success. Her forthcoming book The Desire Factor will be released April 21, 2021.

Christy has appeared on the news, The Today Show, The Morning Show, Ted X, and The Hallmark Channel and her work has been featured in the media in various publications. She’s been featured in Goalcast, People Magazine, Seventeen, Woman’s Day, Hollywood Life, and Teen Vogue, to name a few.

Christy is the CEO and founder of the Quantum Success Learning Academy & Quantum Success Coaching Academy, a 10-month Law of Attraction coaching certification program. Christy has helped certify over 3,000 life coaches and has helped countless others to unlock their power to manifest. She lives in Scottsdale with her husband Frederic and her two boys Alex and Maxim.

Websites: www.thedesirefactor.com and www.christywhitman.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christywhitmaninternational

Amazon Book to be released in  April 2021

Giveaway 

This giveaway is for 1 print copy each for 3 winners and is open to Canada and the U.S. only.  This giveaway ends on April 29, 2021 at midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e23ee71d1439/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="e23ee71d1439" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_hvamo92h">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Battle of the Bullies by Fenyx Blue #review #yalit #yabooks #youngadultfiction #yafiction #giveaway

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Battle of the Bullies by Fenyx Blue
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  301 pages
Genre:  Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher:  Wisdom Works, LLC.
Release date:   October 29, 2020
Content Rating:  G. There are not any explicit sex scenes or any excessive use of bad language

Book Description:

Ebony, Eris, and Emani Robertson have been through so much more than most high school freshman. When they were younger, they survived a school shooting that killed their friends and left their oldest sister unable to speak. After giving home-schooling a try, they enroll in a promising new academy, hoping for the best. The Robertsons soon discover, however, that their new classmates are anything but kind. A mysterious group of bullies known as the Dimes rules the hallways and spreads fear everywhere they go. All three sisters end up being targets of the gang and have to find a way to defend themselves. The triplets couldn't be more different, but their loyalty to each other and to their school never fails. Along with a diverse group of friends, the Robertsons do everything they can to uncover their identity of the Dimes and restore order to the school. As if their lives weren't complicated enough, they also get sucked in to a much bigger game-discovering who was responsible for the attack on their old school. Can they bring down the Dimes and bring the murderer to justice, all while trying to make it through ninth grade? 

My Review:

Since I was someone who got bullied in Elementary school, this book resonated with me. The tale told here is a high school drama about three sisters who are the main characters but others in the school who are also being bullied. As you read, you find out just who is being not only bullied but threatened even with their life. The reader will find it somewhat surprising.

I did not know that this book was part of a trilogy when I first began reading it. In fact, it is the  second book but, there is enough pre-information written that it becomes a stand alone book. There is a prologue in the beginning which intrigued this reader and did help set up the book. That was a cool beginning.

The main part of the book set up the mysteries Dimes and the murderer mentioned in the "about" section. It was a back and forth which kept the book interesting enough to keep going. Some of the scenario were far fetched but the characters that belonged to them were also interesting.

There was also an "afterwards" in the back. I did not think it was necessary per se, but it did help to know what happened to all of the characters and gave a taste of what book three will be like.

Just a note: I liked the cover on this book. However, it did not give any indication of what was inside the book, other than the title itself. If the author in the future changes the book cover, I think I would like to see all three of the triplets on the cover and maybe even some minor characters in the background. Also, found a couple of typos but that was not that big of deal for me.

Overall, a terrific read 4 stars!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book (and a blue feather-awesome) from the author. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle

Buy the Book
Amazon.com
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

BLUE: Bold, Loving, Unapologetic, and Evolving are words to describe Fenyx Blue. Ms. Blue is an author, Youtuber (FENYX BLUE INK), speaker, ministry leader, mentor, instructional coach and her school district’s former “Those Who Excel” Teacher of the Year. Ms. Blue is a soldier in the Blue Fenyx movement encouraging every phoenix in the world to rise up. Blue’s mission is to inspire, motivate and educate. Blue speaks to audiences about their purpose and power and works to coach other authors through their journey to become published. Her novels are tools for teachers while being candy for students. Fenyx Blue has penned four books in her poetic collection in which she shares true life tales and lessons: Her first Young Adult novel entitled Who Failed Johnny? (Book 1 of The Triplet Trilogy), second YA novel Battle of the Bullies, a Children’s book called Worth the Weight: A Rare Gem, and a Poetry Book by the name of The Blue Ink Movement. With the help of her extended family and friends network, her self-published books will touch many lives this year.

connect with the author:  website ~ facebook 

 

 

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

It's Me by Jeff Kubiak #review #giveaway #middlegrade #multicultural #kindness #diversity

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  It's Me by Jeff Kubiak
Category:  Middle-Grade Non-Fiction (Ages 8-12),  57 pages
Genre:  Children's/Middle Grade, Non-fiction, own voices
Publisher:  EduMatch Publishing
Release date:   November 14, 2020
Content Rating:  PG. Although the book reads like a graphic novel, it does contain topics dealing with racism and other social issues.

Book Description:

It's Me is dedicated to every person who has ever felt less about who they are or want to be because of someone else’s opinion, feelings, or prejudice. Let's ditch the prejudiced labeling, and embrace our Human Race for the diversity, inclusivity, equity, and individuality we all deserve.

My Review:

As someone who is "different" in the "normal" society, I am able to resonate with this book quite well.

The book attempts to remove labels projected on different people throughout the book, unfortunately to do that, the labels have to be seen in order to remove them. 

Each page is about a real person who is still struggling to find their place in society. Most all of the colorful photos have names changed to protect them but still their feelings are heard through each individual's own words. In any case, the reader clearly is able to see the adults and children and the labeling that has been thrust upon them. Each persons words are then ended by the words, "It's Me" thus the title of the book.

I do want to mention that there are several topics addressed in this book that often we as society will quarrel about. I think that the book opens opportunity for conversations that are not only on point in today's world, but an opportunity to show kindness.

I liked what the author was trying to do and I do think it works to an extent. At least the point of the book is that even with struggles, each person depicted might just be like you and to give them a chance.

This book is not aimed at children younger than eight and it is understandable why. However, with the resources included in the back, which are several, including a glossary, parents can still talk to the younger set and begin to instill those conversations that I mentioned above.

Terrific book that I think should be included in all homeschool and classroom settings.

5 stars

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

Buy the Book
Amazon

Meet the Author:

Jeff loves children's literature , “One Drop of Kindness” is Jeff's first published children's book. It's Me reads like a fun graphic novel, but it is entirely non fiction. Every character in the book is a real student, or educator. It is so important for us to give access, equity, inclusion, and compassion to all those we meet. "Seeing" each other and embracing our differences are jewels to life! Jeff taught for ten years as an elementary school teacher in grades 4, 5, and 6 and has seven years of administrative experience. He's always looked at education from a different lens: from someone who hated and struggled with school. Jeff vows to always do his best to help increase opportunities for all students to feel heard, noticed, celebrated, challenged and safe. Jeff works hard to push back against the old model of “Industrialized Education” and fight compliance. There is not a day that goes by that he is not looking ahead to improve teacher pedagogy, student engagement and digital access for all. Being a former world class swimmer and coach and looks at education from perspectives that others don’t. Jeff knows what it takes to fail, struggle, win and go through the daily challenges that we all face. 

connect with author:  website ~ facebook  ~ goodreads

---

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Cleo Can Tie A Bow by Sybrina Durant #childrenfiction #childhoodskills #picturebooks

Synopsis:

Cleo loves bows. She wears her hair in a bow and decorates her room with bows. Cleo is bow crazy.
Learning to tie a bow is very difficult for some people but Cleo remembers how to do it from a cute story she once heard. It is about a little rabbit with very long ears and a very helpful fox who shows her what to do to keep them clean. This is the story of how Cleo learns to tie a “bunny ear” bow.

My review:

This is one of those books that I have gone back and forth on. I do like this book and how it is very interactive. In a nut shell, it teaches children how to tie a bow. The premise is essentially for children to learn to tie their shoes. That in itself is a good thing and a skill all children need.

I did however, have a couple of problems with the book. The first was a very scary looking fox that looks like he will eat the bunny, but turns out to be friendly to all animals. That right there is confusing enough. Then the fox teaches a bunny how to tie her ears up.   The author in the back of the book tells this is not a good idea in real life and may hurt a real bunny. Children often imitate what they see and in spite of a warning, they could very well try to do on any animal with long ears. It might have been better not to include this or at least a different way.

My second problem was this book is extremely "girly".  Stereotypes are running rapid throughout the whole book. Everything with pink colors, dresses, long hair, bows, butterflies and adorable stuffed animals is completely throughout this book.   I cannot see a male child or even a child that does not look like her relating at all.

The pluses to this book though are the premise that I spoke above about. On the back cover, it states that children can work on their dexterity which is also correct with this new learned skill. I also liked that the book shows how ones imagination can turn into something extremely positive. For example, the fox and bunny are stuffed animals that Cleo has in her room.

I also like the large illustrations with few words, which makes this a picture book aimed at younger children. I think a child older than 6 would need more but yet, if they are learning to tie their shoes, it is a good resources and easily understood.

This book is a solid 3 stars for me.

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

Where to find the author:

Amazon

Goodreads

Mia and Nattie by Marlene M. Bell #Kidlit #nonfiction #giveaway @ewephoric

Synopsis:

Nattie’s mouth was a little crooked. Her legs were a bit shorter than usual, and one horn was too straight, like a unicorn’s horn. But Mia thought Nattie was perfect.Nattie’s mouth was a little crooked. Her legs were a bit shorter than usual, and one horn was too straight, like a unicorn’s horn. But Mia thought Nattie was perfect.

My review:

This is the true story of a little lamb who was abandonded by its mother because she could not feed her.

I loved the sweetness between the little girl, Mia, and the lamb. Mia's willingness to stand up to her Grandmother for something she believed in was admirable. At the same time she learned to be patient.

I think some children will get these concepts. However, I think the true message is to take care of each other and be kind. All children will know that with love of animals.

Terrific story.

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

About the author:

Marlene M. Bell is an award-winning writer, artist, and crazy sheep lady who resides in beautiful East Texas. Her renown sheep photographs grace the covers of many livestock magazines where she also writes newsy articles about raising sheep from her hands-on experience.
The third book in the Annalisse Series releases in 2021. Calico Raven is an international mystery with touches of romance--at a killing pace. Stolen Obsession— and Spent Identity, books one and two, received numerous awards including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery in 2020. Her mysteries can be found on marlenembell.com.
In 2020, Marlene offers the first of her children's picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch, it's a touching story of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb. Marlene shares her life with her husband and dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep: a large Maremma guard dog named Tia, and cats, Hollywood, Leo, and Squeaks. The cats believe they rule the household—and do.

GIveaway: 

One Autographed Mia and Nattie picture book, One Nattie Plushie , One Boo Boo Ball ™ , (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card (1 winner) (US only) (ends Feb 12)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When Penny Met POTUS by Rachel Ruiz #POTUS #glassceilingbroken #dreaming #ReadYourWorld #review

Synopsis:

From debut author Rachel Ruiz, When Penny Met POTUS is a unique and clever picture book about a young girl whose mother works for the president of the United States. Penny has heard the term POTUS over and over but doesn't know what it means―and her imagination runs wild! When she spends a day at the office with her mother, she asks a few questions, looks around, and tries to discover just who―or what― POTUS is.

My review:

Women and girls rule! 

The main character, Penny is a curious and intelligent girl who wonders what a POTUS is. (spoiler) She pictures him as a friendly monster who even invites her to tea. It turns out that POTUS s anything but. However, if I gave this away then the book would be ruined.

I will tell you this though, the twist at the end is surprising and fun. It shows how imagination can run while but It also gives hope!

I loved the bold images illustrated by Melissa Mamwill, that without, would not bring this book to life. The best one that I loved was the one with POTUS and his Secret Service which are aliens! *chuckles*

Disclosure/Notes: This book was given to me by the publisher. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. 5 stars!

This book was also part of the Multicultural Children's book Day/Read Your World which I received late two years ago. I subsequently TBR'd it until a later time. However, even though I am not part of the festivities this year, I am including it. As part of the festivities, the MCBD/Read Your world group asks reviewers to add activities.  The activities I am adding are below.  ~Michelle

Activities:

1. Read other books on what a POTUS does. Write what you would do if you were the POTUS.

2. Draw pictures of what you think the White House looks like

3.If you were the POTUS, what items would you add to the White House to leave for future presidents? Draw them or write about them. Why would you leave them?

4. In the book, it talks about the POTUS eating 'POTUS sandwiches." Get in the kitchen and make what you think that might look like. Ask permission to use the kitchen though.