Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Hunger Winter by Rob Currie



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rob Currie will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

I got hooked on kids’ books from reading to my boys. One of my sons had trouble reading on his own but loved being read to. I soon discovered there are many wonderful books for kids. My sons are grown but I still read kids’ books because I enjoy them. Loving these books so much, it seems natural to write for a young audience.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

That’s easy. After dealing with Nazis chasing him, Dirk would have a big mirror in his locker so he would see anyone trying to sneak up on him. He’d also have a lot of food. After being nearly starved for weeks during the Dutch Hunger Winter of World War II, he’d stock up so he’d never have to worry about going hungry again.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

Two of my favorite books were Robin Hood and Robinson Crusoe. I discovered them as a child on the shelf outside my bedroom. We weren’t allowed to come downstairs on Saturday morning before 8 a.m., in order for our parents to sleep in. If we woke up before that, we could grab a book and read.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

It’s salty treats not the sweets that get me. My wife and I have a wonderful relationship based on three things—commitment to each other, our faith, and keeping plenty of chips in the house.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I’m reading Christy by Catherine Marshall. A book about a woman who volunteers to teach in Appalachia in the early 20th century. It’s not the type of book I usually read but authors need to read a wide variety of books and genres. Otherwise, each book they write can sound too much like the previous one.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Neither. I love Suzanne Collins’ series, Gregor the Overlander¸ which she wrote just before Hunger Games. I love the action and the protective personality Gregor has watching over his little sister, Boots, as they search for their father. That story influenced on Hunger Winter. My story also features an older brother who protects his younger sister while they search for their father. You can’t go wrong in a kids’ story when you capitalize on the natural yearning that kids and their parents have for each other.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which characters from your book do you want with you? Why?

I want Hans Ingelse, a resourceful WWII Resistance operative. He stays calm under pressure and is a good problem solver in tough situations. I want him there for his wisdom and street smarts. I also want Els, his eighteen-year-old daughter, who through enduring Gestapo torture without spilling secrets, showed she’s probably the toughest member of the family. I want her there for her courage and determination.

It's the Netherlands in late 1944. Thirteen-year-old Dirk's Papa left to fight with the Resistance. Then Mama died. When the Gestapo snatched his older sister and he learned they were coming for him next, Dirk left home in the middle of the night. He had his pockets stuffed with food, his little sister asleep in his arms, and his heart heavy with a dark secret.


Read an Excerpt

At 1:45 a.m. Otto Adler rose from his recliner, walked to a table, and picked up a sheet of paper. He scanned it and set it on the table. “Johann went to kill Ingelse but didn’t come back,” he said to the empty room. He pounded the wall with his fist. “I bet the Dutchman outsmarted him and suckered him into talking. I told Johann not to talk! Just shoot him! But he never listens to his older brother,” he growled. “I won’t make that mistake.”

He made a phone call.

“You ready?” Good. I’ll be there at 2:20.” He reached for the sheet of paper. “Yes, I’m going to go over it again.”

He listened.

“So we get it done. Ingelse is a snake that slithers away. But not this time. Ten minutes to get there. We watch the house for fifteen minutes.”

He drummed his fingers on the phone table.

“At 2:45 we walk up to the house. I stand on the porch, and you crouch in the bushes with your gun.” He shaped his free hand like a pistol.

“I knock on the door and say, ‘It’s Windmill.’” He smiled. “I tell him I have an important delivery. When he looks at me, you jump on the porch. You shoot. We leave.”

He was silent for thirty seconds. “Yes, I’m sure. That Jew-loving Ingelse will be dead in an hour.” He hung up the phone and fed his notes to the flames in the potbellied stove.

About the Author: Life conspired to get Rob Currie to write Hunger Winter: A World War II Novel. His father is a World War II veteran and his wife is Dutch. An award-winning author, it was only a matter of time before he would focus his writing on World War II. Research for Hunger Winter included numerous books, interviews with Dutch WWII survivors, and three weeks in the Netherlands. His investigation revealed astonishing details about the Dutch experience of the war, which begged to be turned into a book.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, he graduated from Cornerstone University and went on to earn a master's degree and doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. He has taught psychology at Judson University since 1987. His hobbies include playing basketball, cooking, and writing poetry.

Author Web Site: http://www.robcurrieauthor.com
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Winter-World-War-Novel/dp/1496440358/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 18, 2020

Review Tour: Sophie Washington: My BFF by Tonya Duncan Ellis



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.




Sophie and Chloe have been best friends since they met in kindergarten. They get along like chips and salsa and do everything together from playing tennis to cheering on the school cheer squad. Lately, Chloe’s been leaving Sophie out, and she doesn’t know why. Sophie does everything she can to make her best friend happy, but it’s not working. Then Chloe asks Sophie to fib to a teacher to help her out and she learns the true meaning of friendship.





My review:

It's hard being a tween, especially in today's world with social media recording everything you do.

Sophie's a good kid.  She's smart and capable, perhaps not as brave as she'd like to be, but she comes from a solid family and has her head on as straight as a girl her age can.  Until her bestie, Chloe, starts messing with her.

You expect your bestie to have your back no matter what. But out of the blue, Chloe starts acting mean, embarrassing Sophie and leaving her out.  Poor Sophie has no idea what she's done for Chloe to start behaving this way. They're besties!!

This is my first foray into the world of Sophie Washington, so I'm not familiar with her or her group of friends.  They're pretty realistic and unique and remind me a bit of my own daughter's group of friends when she was younger.  It was nice to see that they mostly got along well, except for Chloe's sudden reversal, thought I have to admit I was surprised to see a group of girls getting alone with little drama.  In my experience, that just doesn't happen.  When I read this line from the book, uttered by one of the boys, “I’ll never understand girls. There’s no way I’d treat one of my boys like that.
I nodded. Girls can be incredibly cruel.

The writing here was clean and smooth and absolutely appropriate for the age group it's intended. Less descriptive than an adult book, but plenty clear enough to set the stage and keep us knowing exactly what was going on.  The author is clearly talented and knows her genre well.  I only wish these books had been around when my daughter was younger.  Good lessons here!  I do have to admit I thought Sophie forgave Chloe far too quickly and I'm not sure that would happen IRL without at least a few hard feelings, but good for Sophie. Truly.

All in all a solid entry in the middle grade reader genre, and if all the books are like this one, I'd recommend moms everywhere get copies for their kids.  Sophie seems to be facing real challenges that affect kids today, and has good support (friends and family) to help guide her through.

4 solid stars!

Enjoy an excerpt:

The only reason I’m not at the carnival games is because I want to spend time with my BFF, Chloe. We’ve been friends since we shared a swing in kindergarten, and we do everything together, like cheer for our school and play on the tennis team. She’s taller and noisier than I am, but somehow, we belong together, like chips and salsa.

Chloe isn’t in any of my classes this year. During free periods she gets special tutoring for her dyslexia. Don’t ask me what dyslexia means exactly, but she’s not so great at spelling and takes twice as long as the rest of us to do her school work.

Chloe’s been talking about riding the Killer Whale since we were too short to be allowed on roller coasters. I’d do anything for my best friend, and I didn’t want to look like a chicken, so I faced my fear.

Looking back, I still can’t believe I got in line when Chloe begged. The Killer Whale is a perfect name for that ride. Carts race up and down the grayish blue rails like they’re on a speed track, and then drop down huge hills.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Toby, the cutest boy in the sixth grade, stood in front of us in line with his mouth open. “Forget about the baby rides; I want to ride this one the whole time we’re here.”

“This is so cool!” Nathan, Toby’s buddy for the field trip, gave him a high five. “and since there are two tracks, we shouldn’t have to wait long to get on.”

The crowded line came to a standstill and we continued to talk.

“Hey, Sophie, did you start that poetry assignment for English class?” Toby edged around Chloe. “Can you help me with it at school tomorrow? I need to get an A or B to raise my grade.”

“You read the poem yet?” said Nathan, pausing the video game he was playing on his phone and also looking my way. “I can’t figure it out.”

“Why didn’t you ask me what I think about the poem?” asked Chloe with a frown.

“Well, ah, I didn’t think you were doing the same work,” said Toby.

Her lips curled, and I braced myself.

Chloe is super sweet most of the time, but act like she’s not as smart as someone else, and she changes from cuddly kitten to ferocious tiger.

“As a matter of fact, I am doing the same work,” she said, wrapping her arms around her chest. “Just because I go to a tutor sometimes doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on. I still have the same English assignments as you guys.”

“I don’t think he meant that, Chloe,” I said.

“Yeah, yeah, everybody knows you’re the spelling champion, while I’m the sixth-grade dummy,” said Chloe.

“Now wait a minute…” I said.

Ahhhhh!

About the author: 

Tonya Duncan Ellis is the author of the Amazon bestselling, Readers' Favorite "Five Star" rated, Sophie Washington children's books series, geared toward readers ages 8 to 12, and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She has received awards for literary excellence, worked as a journalist and freelance magazine writer, and is a graduate of Centre College of Kentucky and Washington University in St. Louis.

The Sophie Washington book series recounts the adventures of a precocious African American preteen from Houston, TX and her diverse group of friends. Each funny and heartwarming story teaches lessons about friendship, responsibility, truthfulness and perseverance. Books in the series include Queen of the Bee, The Snitch, Things You Didn't Know About Sophie, The Gamer, Hurricane, Mission: Costa Rica, Secret Santa, Code One and Mismatch.

Tonya loves to travel and has visited 49 American states and three continents, but some of her best journeys have been between the pages of a novel. As a girl she could always be found with a book in her hand, and reading is still one of her favorite hobbies. When she's not reading or writing, the author likes to ride her bike, swim, and spend time with her husband and three children. She lives in Missouri City, TX.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyaellisbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyaDEllis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyaellisbooks/
www.tonyaduncanellis.com

Buy the book at Amazon  or Barnes and Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 4, 2020

Little Milly and the Great Lakes by Kelly McInenly



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kelly McInenly will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

Little Milly’s bugle would have prime position in her locker. It would be flanked by a wet bathing suit, a pet frog and some sweet treats. Some of Milly’s sisters’ arts and crafts would be stuck to the inside of the locker door, as well as a photograph of her mother and father. Since we are talking about a Maritimer, there would a lobster roll in there too, for her lunch.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They consumed me completely and I would be so devastated every time tragedy struck the family (which was often), that my mom would have to put the books out of my reach on top of the refrigerator for days until I was up to the emotional strain again. To this day the word ‘locusts’ gives me a pit in my belly! My stories based on Little Milly’s childhood in the early 1900s are definitely lighter than these accounts of growing up in the American Midwest in the late 1800s.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Butter tarts! If fat, sugar and carbs had a baby, it would be a batch of butter tarts. I prefer no raisins, a firmer filling and a glass of milk on the side. My mom still makes them for me every time I am home for a visit, but she has modified her original recipe to use maple syrup now that corn syrup has such a bad reputation… not sure they qualify as a healthy snack yet, but it’s a step in the right direction.

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

I was a pretty good kid, so I might only need to write a postcard, but a very pointed one:

SAY YES TO                                                          SAY NO TO
Cross-country running                                              Perms
Alex Yang’s marriage proposal                                 Pleated Pants
Mom & Dad’s offer to sign you up for golf lessons   White Eyeliner

Coal or candy in your Christmas stocking? Why?

While I think I have Candy-deserving behaviour, sugar has been deemed the new smoking. As of yesterday, Coal stock is growing at 9% and Candy is only growing at 2%, so I would prefer Santa leave me some lumps. You can take the writer out of business school, but you can’t take the business school out of the writer!

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

My son’s – ages 10 and 14 – quiz me on this constantly, so I have given it a surprising amount of thought. I usually pick the ability to make Wishes, as it gives me the most flexibility, but my kids don’t think that is a valid superpower, so I default to Flying. I read recently – in Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders – that in this age of artificial intelligence, Empathy and Compassion will be our superpowers… the two abilities computers will never master.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss is a fun read for anyone, whether or not you consider yourself a negotiator. He combines stories from his years as an FBI hostage negotiator, with present day examples of how the same techniques can help improve the outcome of business discussions. My favourite concept of his is ‘You only fall to your highest level of preparation’.

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

I love an Americano – a shot of espresso in a tall double-walled glass, topped up with boiling water. Every morning I have two to supercharge my daily run. I once heard someone say if you can’t handle coffee, you can’t handle life, and I tend to agree!

Favorite pizza toppings.

I would eat ANYTHING on a pizza. It is my favourite food and a Friday ritual with my kids. Neapolitan, Chicago-style… I love them all, but I recently discovered Detroit-style and it was life-changing. The pizza is rectangular (because it was originally baked in industrial parts trays from Michigan factories) and characterized by a thick crispy crust with sauce applied on top of the ingredients (vs. on top of the crust). Descendant is the only pizza joint I know of that offers this style in Toronto, but I hope everyone has a source of this deliciousness in their neighbourhood.

Create an ice cream flavor. What’s it called?

I have to admit that while I did not invent this ice cream flavour, I am on a mission to promote it! Humphry Slocombe ice cream of San Francisco created a flavour called ‘Secret Breakfast’… it’s a combination of cornflakes and bourbon… perfect for an Irish early-bird like myself.



Kelly knew Little Milly Lake as Grandma Mill McInenly. The usually serious Mildred would occasionally surprise her granddaughter with tales of the fun and mischief that she and her five older sisters found growing up in the Maritimes in the early 1900s. The combination of little money or supervision, and a notoriously grumpy father, made for simple stories with just the right blend of silly and sweet.Little Milly and the Great Lakes is Kelly's first creative writing endeavor... she has been distracted by Little Mateo and Little Lucas.

Get silly with Milly on her other adventures...Bess and the Boil, Marj and the Medal, and Peg and the Party Line.


Read an Excerpt

In the Lake girls’ time – nineteen hundred and nine,

Many homes were connected by telephone line.

Neighbours had their own numbers – but the phone line was shared:

You could pick up and listen to all, if you dared.

And the Lake girls did dare – they goaded each other,

“Peg, pick up the phone and pretend you’re a mother!”

About the Author: Kelly knew Little Milly Lake as Grandma Mill McInenly. The usually serious Mildred would occasionally surprise her granddaughter with tales of the fun and mischief that she and her five older sisters found growing up in the Maritimes in the early 1900s. The combination of little money or supervision, and a notoriously grumpy father, made for simple stories with just the right blend of silly and sweet.

Little Milly and the Great Lakes is Kelly’s first creative writing endeavor… she has been distracted by Little Mateo and Little Lucas.

Connect with Canadian author Kelly McInenly:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/little-milly-and-the-great-lakes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlemillyandthegreatlakes
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19237406.Kelly_McInenly

Check out Little Milly and the Great Lakes: Marj and the Medal (Book 1):

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Little-Milly-Great-Lakes-Medal/dp/0228808960/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-milly-and-the-great-lakes-kelly-mcinenly/1131792651
Indigo/Chapters: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/little-milly-and-the-great/9780228808961-item.html





Check out Little Milly and the Great Lakes: Peg and the Party Line (Book 2) :

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Little-Milly-Great-Lakes-Party/dp/0228808952/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-milly-and-the-great-lakes-kelly-mcinenly/1131792650
Indigo/Chapters! https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/little-milly-and-the-great/9780228808954-item.html




Check out Little Milly and the Great Lakes: Bess and the Boil (Book 3):

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Little-Milly-Great-Lakes-Bess/dp/0228808766/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-milly-and-the-great-lakes-kelly-mcinenly/1131792655
Indigo/Chapters! https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/little-milly-and-the-great/9780228808763-item.html




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, May 1, 2020

Escucha Means Listen by Talia Aikens-Nuñez


>
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Talia Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Take a journey through the world — just listening. Escucha Means Listen helps children discover sounds around them in both English and Spanish. A beautiful picture book with lyrical prose and delightful illustrations, from lawn mowing to the splish-splashing of rain puddles.

Read an Excerpt

Buzz. Buzz. Qué oyes? (What do you hear?)
Las abejas (The bees) circling the flowers.

Woosh. Woosh. What do you hear?
El viento (The wind) is whistling by.

Shh. Shh. Qué oyes? (What do you hear?)
Las hojas (The leaves) are dancing on the trees.

About the Author:
Talia Aikens-Nuñez wanted to be a meteorologist, a politician and a lawyer. She never thought she would be an author. It was the birth of her daughter that caused her to start writing. Raising a bilingual child inspired Talia to write multicultural children’s books.

Talia’s family loves nature so much that she and her husband vowed that they willalways try to live close to water. She and her family live in Connecticut with a little pond.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/talia_n
Website: Http://www.kidslitbytalia.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/taliaaikensnunezchildrenswriter

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Escucha-Means-Listen-Talia-Aikens-Nu%C3%B1ez-ebook/dp/B01AP0I57O/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway