Sunday, January 26, 2014

'Saving Hascal's Horrors' by Laura Smith


Blurb:

Mike Hascal can’t wait for the day when he grows up and gets to take over his family’s horror shop. He and his friends go to Hascal’s Horrors every day after school where Mike’s sister, Julie, has run the store ever since their father died. However, a tragedy seven years ago forced the shop to close to the public. A boy, Shawn Mackey, went into the woods to try to take a picture of a ghost for a contest the shop was holding, and he never made it out. The Mackey family then forced the Hascal family to take customers by appointment only and never let any kids into the store. 


When business, gets slow and a woman complains about her grandson, Freddy, hanging out at the store, Julie is forced to ban Mike and his friends from the shop. To save his store, Mike and his friends decide to solve the mystery of what happened to the missing boy, hoping that the Mackey family will let them reopen the shop to the public. Using their knowledge of horror movies, Freddy’s help, and Mike’s family’s supernatural powers, they go on an adventure to save the family’s shop and bring Shawn Mackey’s family peace.

Read an excerpt:
…Jason’s hand shot up in the air, and he cried, “Mr. Peterson! Mike Hascal’s throwing food!”

Mike’s jaw dropped. Mr. Peterson made his way over to Mike’s table.

“Are you throwing food?” he asked.

“I…they were throwing food first!” Mike exclaimed.

“Was not! Stop lying, Mike,” Jason called behind him.

“I saw food flying,” said Mr. Peterson, “Why would he say it was you if he was the one throwing it?”

Mike couldn’t control himself. Mr. Peterson was calling him a liar. He couldn’t take anymore today, and he exploded.

“Because he knows no one will get him in trouble because his Mom’s the Vice Principal!”

“All right. Enough,” said Mr. Peterson with a red face, “Let’s go.”

Mike could tell that Mr. Peterson knew that Mike was right, but he was going to make Mike take the blame anyway. Mr. Peterson didn’t want to tell Vice Principal Creed that her son was causing trouble.

“It’s not his fault,” Corey said, in his innocent way as Mike stood up to leave, “He was just defending the girls.”

“He should know better,” said Mr. Peterson.

He lowered his bushy, gray eyebrows at Corey, “You don’t repeat bad behavior to stop others from doing it.”

Corey shut up at this. Just then, a large chunk of bread hit Mike on the back of the shoulder, bounced and hit the top of Corey’s head. They both flinched. Mike heard snickering behind them. Mr. Peterson didn’t seem to notice. Mike’s anger bubbled up again, and without thinking, he grabbed a handful of fries from his tray and launched them over the girls. They all screamed and ducked. The fries rained down on Jason’s table.

“Oh ho! You’re in trouble now,” Mark Masters cried from Jason’s table as the other boys all made “he’s in trouble” groans.

Jason was furious, and in plain sight, he threw his fries back at Mike. Corey jumped in and threw his empty apple sauce dish and milk carton. The girls joined in, throwing their empty garbage at Jason and his friends, who threw it back at them.

“Enough!” Mr. Peterson cried as more tables joined in.

The lunch room erupted into chaos. Kids picked up whatever food they had left on their plates and threw it: empty milk cartons, plastic spoons and forks, trays of apple sauce, whipping them in every direction. Bits of apple sauce, milk droplets, fruit juice and French fries rained down on the room. An uneaten chicken sandwich even flew across the room at one point, making everybody laugh and scream and throw even harder. There was food everywhere. No one was safe. This didn’t happen every day, and it might never happen again so everyone went for it. Even Mike was smiling as he got a few more throws in before Mr. Peterson grabbed him by the shoulder and held him still.

“That’s it!” Mr. Peterson screamed at the top of his lungs.

A few other teachers jumped in to help stop the food fight, but it was no use.

Available on Amazon
http://amzn.to/1foo1GZ


Author Bio:

Laura Smith is a writer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Carlow University in 2007. She works for a Long Term Care Insurance Broker and is currently working on her third novel. She has written poetry published in Rune Magazine, Voices from the Garage and Falling Star Magazine, Blast Furnace Press, The Lavender Review, James Dickey and Torrid. In her spare time she enjoys watching movies, reading, watching The Pirates and Steelers games and working on art projects. Saving Hascal's Horrors is her second ebook. Her first ebook, The Stable House, is available here.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

'Sacred Tales: 60 Indian Moral Stories for Children' by Morris Fenris


Sacred Tales is a collection of sixty (60) ancient Indian stories told with a fresh perspective. These stories have been around since the dawn of human civilization. They were tales that were passed from generation to generation in an oral tradition that spanned hundreds of years. They have since been written down, translated and have traveled the world, encompassing many languages and cultures over the millennia.

These 60 stories can be read and enjoyed by all ages, all religions and all cultures.

Reviews:
"This beautifully written collection of 60 stories from India reminded me a great deal of Aesop's Fables. Each story has a moral at the end, and they would be very appropriate to read to children at bedtime. It is wonderful to read tales from another country and learn about a culture different than ours, although the stories would show that we are more alike as a people than different. The color map of India at the beginning of the book is a great addition, because you can look up where a story came from as you read it. I really enjoyed this collection - it is a great reference book of curated tales from ancient times."

"The Indian Sub- Continent had some of the oldest civilizations known. It has a rich cultural heritage. The art of storytelling in the Sub- Continent is as old as time itself. Even before the human race knew how to read and write, it could tell a tale. In the beginning, these stories were passed on orally from one generation to another. Grandmothers would entertain their grandchildren with such stories while mothers would lull their children to sleep with them. Stories would be narrated at meal times to hold the children’s attention so that they ate more. Whenever each person told these stories, they made some changes and thus there grew several versions.

Later when humans learned to read and write, many of these stories were recorded. In India, thousands of years ago Sanskrit was the language used to compose texts. There were also several scripted common languages. Literature in these languages grew. When Sanskrit was discovered in the western world, a whole world of fascinating stories was found. Origins of some popular western tales could also be traced back to folktales from the Sub-Continent. This book has a variety of timeless folktales from the Sub-Continent. The author is presenting the traditional stories for today’s children and adults in simple and entertaining language.

Some of the stories are popular while others are little known. These tales span heaven and earth and many have their origin in age-old tribal lore. This book is a timeless gem that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and one that I recommend very highly."

"The stories in this collection are very short and easy to read. At the end of each story is the moral in red so it is hard to overlook. I thought this worked very well. The book is well organized and presented, but what makes it charming is the writing. It is simple but poetic.
I’d share this book with young and old alike. I think most people would find something beautiful within it."

"An excellent collection of short stories with moral lessons and engaging language. Perfect to read to children at bedtime, as I did, and even us adults will walk away from the book with a warm heart. It is also nice to read a bit of the origins of the stories, such as the region or area where they originated or were told the most. Easy to read and well-presented, it is a "feel-good" collection that everyone can benefit from."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FIPCMVC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FIPCMVC&linkCode=as2&tag=andsboorev-20

Author bio:

Morris Fenris is Fiji-born Australian author and publisher.

Morris has been writing since childhood, drawing on his experiences in life and emulating the styles of his favorite authors. Morris enjoys reading and writing in a wide range of genres and has plans for writing many books.

'50 Indian Moral Stories for Children' by Morris Fenris


This is Book 1 in the Series "Indian Moral Stories for Children". Book 2 in the Series is entitled "Sacred Tales: 60 Indian Moral Stories for Children".

Folktales are stories that have been handed down through the ages, bonding the past with the present. These stories were written to entertain; to create awe and wonder; to provide answers to unanswerable questions and to instill a sense of morality.

This book provides a glimpse into the Indian culture, one of the oldest societies on earth and one with a rich, diverse and extraordinary history. These eternal legends were written at the beginning of human civilization and are rife with the messages and stories of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, but they still bear significance today and can be read and enjoyed with any religion and culture in mind.

Reviews:
"What a treasure trove of short stories for kids, tweens and teens to explore cultural education in a fun, memorable way. Adding a few children's books on Kindle are a great way to make sure you have stories around for free moments or focused exploration, and this is a great addition to your family's library of myths and short stories. The diversity is rich and varied, allowing for both cultural and historical education.

The book's organization in fabulous. Each starts with a paragraph describing the story's origin, history and significance. Then the story unfolds in clear, engaging writing--storytelling at it's best. These work great for read alouds to young children 4 to 8 or independent reading for children up to 9-12. Then each story wraps up with a one paragraph moral to bring home the point of the allegory, myth or tale. This means they can prompt lots of family discussion. Or, if siblings are fighting, have them read "The Judge Monkey" to each other to talk about cooperation!

This book holds lots of wonderful storytelling for young readers, families, teachers and homeschoolers alike."

"This is a wonderful book of short stories for kids, although it is certainly appropriate for teens and adults as well. The book has 50 short stories, each with an introduction explaining its origin as well as a moral at the end. Since it is organized in this fashion, it is easy to read one story at a time and then discuss it. There is also a helpful color map of India at the beginning of the book, so you can see where the stories came from. This is one of the better children's books on Kindle, and it would be perfect for bedtime story reading."

"My 9 year old daughter and I have been enjoying these stories a lot. This is her first time heading Indian folk tales so she is extremely attentive when I read them to her. I have only heard a couple of Indian folk tales from friends so it is nice to have stories to read that are new to me as well.

Since the book includes 50 stories I have no trouble finding a tale with a moral that I really want her to listen to and remember (my favorites are team work and sharing). What I love most about this book is that the moral of the story is clearly defined at the end of each folk tale. That is very helpful to a parent who wants their child to read the book without aid but still understand the moral."

"It's a wonderful, timeless book enjoyable to both reader and listener. While it is advertised as a children's storybook, I found it enjoyable myself and have read past where I've read to my children."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F9JAUCU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00F9JAUCU&linkCode=as2&tag=andsboorev-20


Author Bio:

Morris Fenris is Fiji-born Australian author and publisher.

Morris has been writing since childhood, drawing on his experiences in life and emulating the styles of his favorite authors. Morris enjoys reading and writing in a wide range of genres and has plans for writing many books.

Review of 'Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas' by Karen Pokras Toz

From the Award Winning Author of Millicent Marie is Not My Name

Ballet and baking pies – these are two of twelve year old Georgie Harris’ favorite things. When her parents decide to move closer to her grandmother’s nursing home, Georgie quickly learns the bad news: dance lessons are too expensive in this new town.

Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her grandmother at the Willow Lakes Nursing Home. There she meets Eve, who inspires Georgie with stories of having danced with a world famous Russian ballerina many years ago.

As Georgie and Eve’s friendship evolves, their tales intertwine in this feel good story showing dreams really can come true.

**My thoughts**

I love Karen Pokras Toz's books. Her characters are full of life and all kinds of brilliant (and maybe not-so-brilliant) ideas. In each one, the child learns an important lesson, but in a fun way. You will also find yourself laughing out loud at some of each child's antics.

Georgie is a great addition to the Toz library. Georgie has just been uprooted and moved to a new town, as her parents want to be closer to her grandmother's nursing home. The family has had to cut back on a lot of expenses, meaning Georgie's beloved dance lessons are no more. When her grandmother suggests that she find a way to earn the money herself, Georgie and her best friend Amber start to come up with different schemes to find the money.

Meanwhile, Georgie is receiving a different kind of dance lesson. Her grandmother's roommate is a Russian woman who used to dance with Georgie's favorite ballerina of all-time. During each visit, Eve shares a bit more with the young girl. Georgie is inspired to keep coming up with ways to earn money to get back into her dancing. She learns about the value of friendship. She learns about reaching for your dreams, as well as how dreams aren't always about glitter and glory. Sometimes the important ones are a little more down-to-earth.

This is the kind of book I would have eaten up when I was a girl. Okay, who am I kidding? I love it now!



Buy on Amazon




About the author:

Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, First Place in the Children’s Chapter Books category and the Grand Prize overall in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as winning first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature, and placing Finalist in the USA Best Book Awards. Her books for children include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie Is Not My Name, and Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adults, she recently published Chasing Invisible. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.



Follow Karen:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Literary Addicts / Goodreads


Follow the Book Tour

The author is giving away the audiobook of Millicent Marie is Not My Name and a gorgeous ballet charm bracelet to one lucky reader.
Open to US residents. Fill out the form below to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, January 13, 2014

Win an ebook from author KB Miller!

Author KB Miller has offered up four of her titles for an ebook giveaway! Check out the books below and then enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win one!

A family secret kept hidden has been exposed, and the consequences could be deadly.

After Lilyann Moon's beloved grandmother dies shrouded by a veil of mystery, she and her young family members are yanked from their completely normal lives and catapulted directly into the supernatural world of witchcraft. A world they know absolutely nothing about.

The town of Hampstead, Maryland has no idea of the monsters that lurk in their midst. Or, of the dangers they will face if the Moon Coven doesn't figure out how to embrace the magick within each of them, especially Lily.

She's suddenly up to her pointy little black hat in magickal problems. Destiny presented her with a few more, and they're pretty major - vampires, ghosts, and brogadhs.

The only bright spot in this nightmare was meeting Mason. But, is she in love with the enemy? Lilyann is in a race against time to save her town and coven. Will she survive the coming dangers, with her heart and neck intact?

It all comes down to this one night...

All Hallows Eve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seventeen-year-old Lochlan Moon had been groomed his entire life to accept the torch that would eventually be handed to him, and step into his destiny - to be the most powerful witch in almost five hundred years. He put his heart and soul into mastering a craft passed down through the generations of his ancestral bloodline.

Between the savage murder of a family member, and vanishing classmates, doubts that he'd kept buried began to resurface. Someone or something is on a monstrous killing spree in his home town of Hampstead. Lochlan is determined to help stop whatever it is.

All the while, his future within the family's circle teeters on a deadly precipice.

Will any of the witches survive to harness the magick within... after the Harvest Moon?

An exclusive eBook novella of The Moon Coven Series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Witches, Magic and Zombies, oh my!

That’s what’s in store for Abby, Kenzie and Caleb Stewart when one of them check a mysterious book out of the library on Halloween.

As the magic spells fly from the book, an evil witch is released and Caleb is turned into his Halloween costume... a Zombie.

This Halloween will be a whole new adventure for Abby, Kenzie and Caleb Stewart. Will Abby and Hannah be able to reverse the mixed up spell? Or, will their little brother be a Zombie forever?

Spooky fun and adventure is on its way in
Uh-oh! We turned our brother into a... Zombie?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Friends, Unicorns, and the Winter Court...

That’s what’s in store this holiday season for Holly Daniels. Two days before Christmas, she takes a special trip to the mall to see Santa Claus. He sends her to the library on a quest to find a book that could make her dreams come true.

Since moving to Montana, Holly hasn’t made any new friends. And, being an only child can be very lonely. All that could change when Holly meets Dylan, the princess of the Winter Court in the Fairy Realm.

Christmas fun and Fairy enchantment is on its way in,
Have a Fairy Christmas!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas' by Karen Pokras Toz Book Tour Blast!

From the Award Winning Author of Millicent Marie is Not My Name

Ballet and baking pies – these are two of twelve year old Georgie Harris’ favorite things. When her parents decide to move closer to her grandmother’s nursing home, Georgie quickly learns the bad news: dance lessons are too expensive in this new town.

Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her grandmother at the Willow Lakes Nursing Home. There she meets Eve, who inspires Georgie with stories of having danced with a world famous Russian ballerina many years ago.

As Georgie and Eve’s friendship evolves, their tales intertwine in this feel good story showing dreams really can come true.





Buy on Amazon




About the author:

Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, First Place in the Children’s Chapter Books category and the Grand Prize overall in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as winning first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature, and placing Finalist in the USA Best Book Awards. Her books for children include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie Is Not My Name, and Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adults, she recently published Chasing Invisible. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.



Follow Karen:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Literary Addicts / Goodreads


Follow the Book Tour

The author is giving away the audiobook of Millicent Marie is Not My Name and a gorgeous ballet charm bracelet to one lucky reader.
Open to US residents. Fill out the form below to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway