Becky and I are honored to have our book reviewed by MBR Bookwatch.

​Gary Roen Senior Reviewer You have complete permission to utilize the review in any manner you deem useful for marketing and promotion.

​According to the hundred-year-old legend, children disappeared in Seven Pines every year to never be found again. People suspected that the old bakery in the woods was under the spell of evil forces and warned their children not to go near the old building.
Best friends Albert and Timmy were mean bullies, and nobody liked them. One day a group of children that were fed up with the daily torture of name calling and pushing and shoving, dared them to go into the old building at night to see if it's really haunted. Albert accepted the dare and although Timmy had his doubts, he went along with his best friend.
What will they find in the old bakery?
Is the legend true and they will disappear forever as many children did who had entered the building?
Literacy Enrichment Kit included

The Haunted Bakery is a part of Becky's childhood, she lived in the small town of Seven Pines Virginia where The Battle of Seven Pines was fought. Deep in the woods stood an old building built of stone and brick and in the basement, there were old brick ovens. People assumed it was an old bakery during the Civil War. Children dared each other to go into the building at night and scared each other with the legend that was told in every generation.
Becky had the rough outline of a story of two boys who went into the bakery at night, on a dare. When Becky showed the rough manuscript to Erika, she accepted the challenge of making the sketchy ideas into a great story together with Becky.
​With Sudipta Dasgupta's wonderful illustrations and Lorraine Carey's professional editing, the story based on an old legend of the haunted bakery comes to life.

When my teacher asked that question after we finished reading a book, I wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. I didn't want to analyse the moral message of the story, I just wanted to enjoy it. But she was right, we learn something from every story we read.

We learn something from every book because every story has a message, either obvious or hidden.

Hidden moral lessons and messages are expected from children's books because that's what children's stories are about. They teach children without sounding preachy.

But what can you learn from a fantasy, romance or suspense story?
​You would be surprised how much you can learn about yourself while relating to the characters.

The main character of the story, Ilona, lives in the real world and has a real job. She's a doctor and she live a normal, everyday life just like everyone else.
But magic happens on her birthday and she begins to remember things that were hidden in her memory as nursery rhymes. Reality collides with the hidden fantasy world and a new reality emerges.  

​A review from a reader, Carol Hanlon: 
"Magical realism novels have not been one of my favorite reads. However, the title “Destiny” and distinctive cover of Erika Szabo’s new thriller captivated me. So, as a new Amazon Prime Member I sign up for it on my Kindle reader. I missed in the promo of “Destiny” it was the third book in the trilogy. To my surprise Erika’s excellent writing style made it enjoyable to read and the beginning pages gave me an understanding of what had happened in the first two books of the series. The story is a real thriller It held me spellbound. And kept me guessing to which side would win the battle between the forces of good and evil. as I turned each new page. The last page read I believe I’ve become a fan of magical realism. Thank you, Erika Szabo, for exposing me to a new genre with your latest FIVE STAR novel “Destiny."

​Pico, the parrot, is sad and frustrated. He screeches and squawks all day but because he speaks Spanish, nobody understands him. His story teaches children acceptance, compassion, and helping others.

Even if nobody else reads this book, this editorial review fro Brian VanBramer makes the countless hours I spent writing this book worthwhile:
​
"I received a copy of this book before publishing, and I can honestly say that this is by far the best children's story I ever read to my seven-years-old son. He hung onto every word and displayed a wide range of emotions throughout the story such as sadness, fear, excitement, and sheer joy. What I value most is when we finished the book he said to me, "Dad, I wish I had a dog like Peanut." At first, I thought that he's just like any other little boy is wishing for a dog, but then seeing his unusually sad expression, I asked him why he wants a dog like the one in the story. He said, "Because a dog like Peanut could save me from Connor." My heart jumped into my throat because I never noticed any sign that my son was bullied. When I asked him why he didn't tell us before, he said because he thought I would be mad at him not being able to defend himself. This story encouraged him to tell me and we are working on solving his problem together. "

The ghosts of the Trinity of Wishmothers are trapped. The children offer their help, so the talking skeleton takes them on a journey to the realm of Creepy Hollow. Righteous motivations drive Jack and Nikki: to protect the weak, confront evil, conquer their fears, and gain courage. In the battle against Evila and her minions they grow into the warriors they were destined to become.

"I’m unable to do justice to the wealth of detail and action Szabo and Bonadonna managed to pack into this book." ~Fletcher Vredenburgh
​
"Szabo and Bonadonna make a great pair. Their Creepy Hollow Adventures is a perfect starting point for young children making the leap from "kids' books" to "novels." ~S E Lindberg

​Becky Robbins and Erika M Szabo paired up to bring this fun, educational book for children 5-12 about acceptance, friendship, family, dealing with bullies, and moral values such as not judging others by their appearances before getting to know them. With Sudipta Dasgupta's wonderful illustrations and Lorraine Carey's professional editing, the story based on an old legend of the haunted bakery comes to life.

​Penny always wants to do what her big brother does. She imitates his every move and constantly tweets, “Me, too.” Spike is angry at his sister and threatens to name her Metoo, but when the two young chickens face danger, Spike realizes how important family is and happy to have a sometimes annoying, but loving and brave little sister. 

Her message put a huge smile on my face and made me very happy!

People always say, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

It applies to a lot of things including not to judge people before we get to know them, but in my opinion, it doesn't apply to books.

The truth is that we do judge books by their covers because that's the first thing we see. If the cover of the book doesn't shout "look at me" we keep scrolling or in a book store, we go to the next shelf.

Magical realism, historical fiction, alternate history

​Pointing out other people's grammar mistakes and spelling errors has turned into a favorite internet pastime.
From blog posts to emails, news articles and tweets, if there's an error in there, someone's going to comment on it.

Can you blame people to feel a certain sense of pride when they find a typo or spelling error? Honestly? It does make me feel good when I spot spelling errors or typos in famous, bestselling books. 

But here's the thing: grammatical errors don't necessarily mean the author of the post, article, or book didn't know better. I constantly make a mistake writing "taht" instead of "that" especially when I'm texting. 

The fact is that our brains are wired in a way that makes us all susceptible to grammar slip-ups.
Just think about it for a second. Even the fiercest Grammar Police person and the bestest editor makes mistakes, I've seen it many time.

Common grammatical errors such a "their" instead of "there" or "your" instead of "you're" and so on doesn't always happen because people don't know which word is correct (well, some people don't but most of us do). It happens because we focus on the content more than on the correct spelling of each and every word. 

Did this make you feel better? Good!
Now spot the mistake in this GIF and comment on my post.

A little girl teaches her family and her friends how to relate to someone who is hearing impaired.
When Grandma Rosa lost her hearing, Sandra and her parents became frustrated and sad. They didn’t know what to do and how to learn to communicate better with Grandma Rosa.
They tried shouting, changing the tone of their voices or leaning closer to her ear when they talked, to no avail. Rosa could hear some sounds clearly, but certain sounds she couldn’t hear well.
It became an everyday struggle for the family, and they missed the comforting family conversations at dinner time.
Sandra finds a website for hearing impaired people that explains how deaf people communicate. They start learning sign language and to “talk” with their fingers. Sandra and Grandma Rosa find realize that with compassion, love, and hard work, they can overcome the obstacles of disability. 

When authors promote their books, they usually introduce the protagonists (the good guys) in their book descriptions or excerpts.

But without well-written antagonists the the stories would be flat and the protagonists have nothing to fight against.

The antagonists (the bad guys) in books, the ones we love to hate, drive the plot by setting up conflicts, obstacles, and challenges for the protagonist.

​Antagonists are present in any genre books.

Travel with Ilona from the time her people were nomads, to the castles of the 14th century, to present day, as she struggles to overcome the obstacles placed in her path. 
http://tinyurl.com/yaew5ph8
​
​“This is so different from the usual fare churned out by ordinary writers.” -Valerie Byron
“The characters felt real, and the secrets are alluring. You will get hooked in right away.” -Brenda Barry
“Szabo introduces readers to a fascinating world of ancient rights conducted by a secret order.” -J.E. Rogers 

Our bodies are merely shells.
See the person inside.

"His whole life was music, and love for the people of Hawaii".  He had spent much of his life fighting obesity and a respiratory disorder along with other related diseases.
Read more

I truly admire people who play instruments and passionate about music. I love listening to music but never learned any instruments and you definitely don't want to hear me sing.
If you're planning to learn to play guitar or the ukulele, this site have easy instructions. Click HERE or click the picture to visit the site.

"People freak out when they see me for the first time," he said.
And when you look beyond the exterior, you see the funny, compassionate, strong person. You see who he is.

Hawking had a rare early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neuron disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis "ALS" or Lou Gehrig's disease) that gradually paralyzed him over the decades. Even after the loss of his speech, he was still able to communicate through a speech-generating device, initially through use of a hand-held switch, and eventually by using a single cheek muscle.
Read more

In this video, János Kóti, a nine-years-old blind and handicapped boy sings a Hungarian folk song in a crystal clear voice. The elite group of Hungarian musicians joined and made this concert possible in the Hungarian National Museum in 2015.
His purpose in life?
Simply to bring pure joy to people's heart.

I did some dusting this morning and decided to get it over with faster by using the  the brush vacuum instead of the fluffy duster.

Big mistake!

I knocked over my my favorite ceramic statuette on the mantel and a sliver broke off on the back of the statue.
So, I quickly got the crazy glue and glued the broken piece back on.

Everything went well, I held the broken piece with a small rubber eraser until the glue set, but then when I was putting the statue back on the mantel, I noticed that I glued my thumb to the front of the statue.

I have no clue how I got the glue on my thumb, but there I was, not able to put the statue down, and then I broke out in laughter...

So, I quickly Googled how to remove instant glue.
One site recommended nail polish remover, but I never paint my nails and don't have acetone in the house, so I search further.
Another site recommended soaking the finger in soapy water and vinegar.

I did, but it took about ten minutes to soften the glue enough so I could release the statue.
The lesson of this Monday morning stupidity, add acetone to the shopping list.

How's your Monday morning going?

I heard these from some of the neanderthals who still walk among us:

"Women are inferior to men because Eve was made from Adam's ribs, therefore, she belongs to him. Eve doomed humanity by committing a sin which by enticing Adam to eat the apple."

"A woman's brain is incapable of making rational decisions because she can't comprehend to the big picture."

"A woman should focus on raising kids, doing laundry, obey their husbands, and provide clean and comfortable homes for their families."

"We must keep women submissive because with equal rights comes chaos. They need constant reminders that their place is in the home." 

"Women don't have the intelligence to make rational decisions because they're too emotional. Men must make decisions for women."

Right! My opinion?
These neanderthals need to hide under their comfy stones and be very quiet! 
What say you?

Man with most likely a single digit IQ to woman, "You don't have the balls."
The woman says, "I do, two of them. They're called ovaries."
The man says, "But I can make babies with my balls."
The woman replies, "Without my balls, your balls can't make babies. It's called partnership. My balls make the egg and your balls fertilize it."
"Um... but my balls are more important. Without my sperm you can't make babies."
"True," the woman replies. "But if you keep wearing tight pants, keep your laptop close to your balls, carry your cellphone on your belt and eat junk-food all the time, your balls will shrink or explode and there will be no babies at all."

A salesman calls trying to sell windows. The woman say politely, "Thank you for your call but we're not planning to install new wind..."
​The aggressive salesman rudely cuts her off and says, "Is the man of the house home?"
The woman's blood instantly boils but because she's a gentle person, she doesn't reply and hands the phone to her husband,"This bozo is selling windows and wants to talk to you."
The husband takes the phone and says to the salesman, "Listen! My wife is the financial genius in this house. She said no. Good bye!"

​​​A man visits a couple for the first time and as soon as he's introduced to the attractive wife by the husband, he walks up to her attempting to pinch her face and says, "Aren't you a pretty thing!"
The couple's teenage kids watch the interaction.
The woman takes a step back and shouts, "Out! Don't you ever step into this house again!"
The man looks at the husband who opens the door and says to him, "My wife is my partner and you've disrespected her. get out, or I'll throw you out!"

Slowly, but with good parenting and setting good examples to our kids, we're getting there.

Father and son sitting on a bench in the park. The boy is around twelve, happily licking his ice-cream.
A statuesque woman walks by and the father says to his son, "Nice piece of ass, huh?"
The boy looks at his father with a disgusted expression on his face and replies, "Dad, she's a person. You're an ass!"

It's about time to teach our sons and daughter that this is not a competition. Neither men or women need to prove who's better, smarter, or stronger.

Biologically and psychologically men and women have similarities and differences as well. The best thing about this is that we complement each other and able to form a great partnership by mutually accepting and respecting each other. 

What is your opinion?

I love to play with pictures in Photoshop and today as I was cropping cat pictures for illustration, a silly idea popped into my mind.
What would cats think or say if I'd read them my books?

I went with the idea and played a little with pictures, and I imagined what cats would say about my children's stories and romantic, historical fiction novels.

I hope you will enjoy the cats' stories told in pictures as well as my books.

"As a bilingual teacher, I am excited about sharing this book with my students and think it would make a wonderful addition to all school libraries. 5 stars for Pico the Bilingual Parrot!" ~Janet Balletta
"As a former ESL teacher, I was impressed by author Erika M Szabo’s bilingual story about a pesky parrot and wondered why books like this one (written in both English and Spanish at many reading levels and interest ranges) were not available when I was teaching." ~Bette A. Stevens

“I love this little book that teaches children and adults about the difficulties people of all ages face with the loss of hearing. In this book Erika shows us a fun and exciting way to communicate with the hearing impaired.” ~Cathy Collar ​

"​What a great story. I read this book to my niece she is two years old. She would not let me put it down until I read the whole book to her. Ellie loved the illustrations and so did I. I give this book 5 stars." ~R. Robbins

Oreo is very protective of his toys and he has a hunch that Hunter has been stealing some of them. 

​Terry is struggling to learn numbers. Pansy, Terry’s dog, and Pansy’s best friend, Oliver, the hedgehog, want to help but they don’t know how. When Terry wakes up in the morning, she tells her mother that the fairy showed her the numbers in her dream. 

​Penny always wants to do what her big brother does. She imitates his every move and constantly tweets, “Me, too.” Spike is angry at his sister and threatens to name her Metoo, but when the two young chickens face danger, Spike realizes how important family is and happy to have a sometimes annoying, but loving and brave little sister. 

​When Bianca, Daniel, and Peanut, the St. Bernard, are confronted by Mark and his cronies, the BFFs stand up to the brute bullies with the help of Peanut. Their adventure continues when they see a woman throwing four tiny, meowing kittens into the river. Can the BFFs save them? Find out what happens to the kittens. 

​Dark family secrets separated Emily and Daniel when they were teenagers, but fate brought them together. Jayden, Emily’s brother, finds a book that was written in 426 by a shaman. Reading the ancient runes, they learn about their family's curse. If it remains unbroken, the curse will bring tragedy and ruin their lives as it destroyed many of their ancestors' lives for centuries. 

Love, ancient tribal legends, secrets, time travel and magical powers collide in a compelling fantasy series, hailed “Original, Mystical and Unique.”
​“Erika has brought a new kind of fantasy story into the realm of fantasy fiction. The narrative is magnetic and entertaining.” ~seriousreading

​“This is so different from the usual fare churned out by ordinary writers.” -Valerie Byron
“The characters felt real, and the secrets are alluring. You will get hooked in right away.” -Brenda Barry
“Szabo introduces readers to a fascinating world of ancient rights conducted by a secret order.” -J.E. Rogers 

Oh, Muffin said on Facebook that he's going to cause a little trouble, but he's a good boy, he listened to the stories and really enjoyed them. The cats didn't even know he was there :)

I read this article: ​https://ninelivesbook.com/genderless-main-character and it's been bugging me ever since.

​I took screenshot of the article, you can read the original post by clicking on the pictures below:

According to Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgyny

"Androgyny is the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics. Usually used to describe characters or persons which have no specific gender, gender ambiguity may also be found in fashion, gender identity, sexual identity, or sexual lifestyle.

In the case of gender identity, terms such as genderqueer, or gender neutral are more commonly used.
An androgyne is a person who does not fit neatly into the typical masculine and feminine gender roles of their society. Androgynes may also use the term "ambigender" or "polygender" to describe themselves. Many androgynes identify as being mentally between woman and man. They may identify as "non-gender", "gender-neutral", "agender", "between genders", "genderqueer", "non-binary", "multigender", "intergendered", "pangender" or "gender fluid". A person who is androgynous may engage freely in what is seen as masculine or feminine behaviors as well as tasks. They have a balanced identity that includes the virtues of both men and women and may disassociate the task with what gender it may be socially or physically assigned to. People who are androgynous disregard what traits are culturally constructed specifically for males and females within a specific society, and rather focus on what behavior is most effective within the situational circumstance."

Okay, this is clear. But let me play with the idea of writing genderless characters in fantasy and children's books. 

Altona, unaware of her fate, gave her horse a gentle squeeze with her knees, to run faster. Willow zigzagged between the jurtas that were lined up in a semicircle, leaving a broad plaza in the middle. Altona glanced up at the tall wooden pole that stood in the center of the square. It had intricate designs carved into it and was painted with brilliant colors. On top of it was a giant carved falcon, standing with wings open wide, as if it was getting ready to take flight.

Oh, I’m so late; my mother is going to kill me, she thought, and prompted her horse to run faster. An old woman who was carrying firewood stopped and shook her head in disapproval. “These youngsters are riding like demons,” she mumbled, looking after Altona.

Altona reached her home. She slid off the mare’s back in a hurry and fastened the horse’s rein to a wooden pole. Her breaths came in short puffs, and her rosy cheeks glistened with perspiration. She patted the horse’s neck, gave her an armful of hay, and poured fresh water from a leather bag that hung on the pole into a clay bowl. She whispered, “I have to hurry, but I’ll be back soon, Willow, promise.”

She hurried up to the entrance of the tent-like building, called Jurta, with a few long strides. She parted her kaftan-like dark blue overcoat, pulled up her baggy trousers, and smoothed over it her white tunic that her mother had adorned with delicate flower designs. Altona pulled the leather entrance cover aside with a heavy sigh, and she braced herself mentally for the long lecture that she knew she must endure.

As usual, she was late for her herbal lessons with her mother, a beautiful, statuesque, dark-haired woman who slowly rose from a curved sofa-like piece of furniture. Soft light coming from the opening at the ceiling shone on her green, delicately-decorated calf-length tunic that she wore with loose black trousers. Her hair was braided with thin leather thongs and hugged her shoulders.

Altona took off her boots and placed them by the entrance. She winced when Mara’s high-pitched, angry voice hit her like a whip. “You are late, again, young lady! Didn’t I tell you to be home by the time the sun reaches the head of the Falcon? Look!” she pointed at the pole through the door.

Altona quickly let the leather curtain slide back to cover the door, dutifully bowed, and whispered, “Yes, Mother. Sorry Mother.”

She always wanted to please her mother, she really did, but she could rarely live up to her expectations. Luckily, Mara’s anger and lectures were as brief as summer storms, so Altona obediently stood by the entrance and lowered her eyelids to hide the playful twinkle in her eyes. Her long, black hair, which was braided in two rows, slid off her shoulders as she bowed her head, and she adjusted her delicately-woven horsetail headband that kept the stray hairs out of her face. Altona took a hesitant step forward on the thick, wool carpet that covered the dirt floor of the Jurta.

“Where were you?”

“We were… I was… I got some herbs, too. Look!” Altona hoped that she could divert her mother’s attention, so she quickly opened the leather pouch that contained some flowers that she had collected. Lying wasn’t in her nature, but concealing the truth a little by trailing the conversation away from the sensitive subject was widely used in her tribe, especially by teenagers.

Nah, I wouldn't even attempt to rewrite this excerpt and replace she, her, woman, mother with genderless characters and words. It would sound totally absurd.

​

​
Queen Evila, dressed in a long crimson gown, watched with a menacing glare of her dark eyes, which matched her raven-black hair, as the snake slithered across the stone floor, crawling toward her. Guarding their white-skinned Queen stood the monstrous Mutanto and his werewolf henchman, Howler. Behind them cowered the three dull-witted Wolfmen: Boo, Goo, and Poo. They watched as the snake reached Evila’s red shoes, stopped, and coiled its body before her.

“Cute snake,” Boo snickered.

“Cute? How can it be cute? It’s a slithering, ugly rope,” growled Goo.

“Watch out you guys! It might be poisonous,” Poo warned the others as he took a step back.

Evila glared at Mutanto, her red lips forming a thin line. “Must those three cowardly idiots stand here in my royal presence?” she demanded.

“They’ll not befoul your chambers again, Your Majesty,” said Mutanto and then jutted his chin at Howler. Howler got the silent message and growled at the three Wolfmen. “Get back to the basement where you belong and wait for further orders, you knuckleheads!” He held his breath in disgust as the stench of the trio hit his nose. “And take a bath, Poo. You stink like roadkill!” he instructed.

“But I took a bath in March—and it’s only October!” Poo protested weekly.

“Get out of my sight,” Howler growled, feeling frustrated.

The trio of werewolves hurried toward the door, trampling each other.

“She scares me,” Poo whispered.

“Me, too,” Goo replied, pushing Boo aside.

“Don’t push me!” Boo hissed, conking Goo on the head.

Goo growled, ready for a fight, but when they heard Howler’s booming voice, “Out!” they scurried out the door.

Evila rolled her eyes and asked Howler, “Can’t you find better help than those idiots?”

“They’re loyal and follow my orders blindly, Your Majesty,” Howler told her.

“Well, it’s your choice,” Evila said. She reached down and picked up the snake that was coiled up by her feet and held it at eye level. “So, my lovely little Slither has returned,” she said, kissing the serpent’s head. “And what have you found out? What news have you brought me? Is everything I’ve heard true?”

The serpent hissed, “Put me down, Your Majesty, and I will tell you.”

With an impatient sigh, Evila bent down and set Slither on the floor. She watched as the snake began to change its shape, transforming itself into a tall, scraggly man.

“Your Majesty,” he said, bowing to his queen.

“Well, Slither—or shall I call you what everyone else calls you?” she asked.

“You may call me whatever you wish, my Queen,” said the dirty, disheveled-looking man.

“What have you learned, Tattler?” she asked.

Only Queen Evila and her most faithful servants knew that the gossip of Springdale, Tattler, was a shapeshifter. Turning himself into a serpent was his only power, his only magical talent. But unlike the Wolfmen, who were also shapeshifters and chose to stay in wolf form, Tattler had no desire to remain a serpent permanently. He had bigger dreams than that.

“What you have heard is true, Your Majesty,” Tattler said. “The baby possesses magic that has not been seen in Creepy Hollow for more than a hundred years. She is strong and powerful, and she could be very useful to you.”

“Excellent!” said Evila. “How shall it be done? What do you suggest?”

“Bats are not affected by her, my Queen. So, here is what I think should be done…,” said Tattler, and then he told her his plan.

When he had finished speaking, Evila rubbed her hands together. Feeling excited, she turned to Mutanto and Howler. “See to our prisoners. Tell them they will soon have company. Then prepare for the arrival of our new guest.”

“As you command, my Queen,” said Mutanto.
​
Howler bowed and smiled with glee. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

How would the story sound if we'd replace words that refer to gender? I wouldn't even attempt to replace everything that refers to gender.

Nope, I'm sticking with genders for characters who identify either male or female.
However, maybe in my next novel or children's book I'll introduce andogyne characters.

I was watching a little girl playing a game on her iPad. She kept tapping the screen and as the game progressed, she became more and more tense. She clenched her jaw, tapped the floor with her feet and slid on her chair back and forth.

After a few minutes of anxious tapping, she cried out in frustration and threw her iPad which landed by the wall with a shattered screen.

Her mother yanked her arm angrily and shouted, "Now you've done it! That thing cost me a lot of money. What did you do that for?"

The little girl replied tapping her foot and wringing her fingers anxiously, "I was angry because couldn't get to the next level."

Although mindless video games such as shooting bubbles, pair up jewelry, or collect farm animals could be relaxing for adults, children who crave attention and want to achieve, feel about it differently.

In my experience, working as a nurse with children, playing games does not relax children. It occupies them and parents think their kids are entertained, but, instead, kids become obsessed, frustrated, and angry. 

Read with your children when they're young and give them age appropriate books to read when they're older.

I've never seen a child throw a book in frustration and anger. When parents read with young children, the kids snuggle up to their parents and feel relaxed.

Stories trigger the imagination of children, widens their vocabulary, prompts them to be confident and compassionate, teaches them family values, and acceptance of others who are different or have disabilities.

​Mindless video games can't do that. 

I write book for children 2-17
Click HERE and take a look

Click on this link: http://online.pubhtml5.com/ahsh/mobl/
​Or on the picture below

So you wrote a book and published it. Now What?
How does it make you feel becoming a published author.
It it all roses and rainbows from now on?
Are you going to be the center of attention?
Will you be an overnight bestselling author?
Nah! 
Only about one percent of the authors are lucky enough (I didn't say all of them good enough, though) to become celebrated bestsellers.
Well, the rest of us, no matter how good we are,  we go through stages and keep on writing.
Read my opinion about the emotional stages that most authors go through:

Stage 1.
​The feeling of euphoria after publishing your first book
I will never forget that euphoric feeling when my first book was published. I was walking on clouds and told everyone about my book. Of course, I expected everyone I know to be happy for me and buy my book, but then reality kicked in.

Stage 2.
Denial and avoidance of the fact that you didn't become an overnight bestseller
Friends and family promised to buy your book, but never did, which deeply hurt your feelings. Moreover, you sold only a few copies on publishing sites despite all the publicity you tried to stir up on social sites. You enter the stage of denial which is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock and numbs your heightened emotions.
​Yes, it comes as a shock that besides a few polite congratulations, you didn't get the excited reaction from people that you were expecting but you kept telling yourself, "They will read my book, they just didn't get to it yet."

Stage 3.
Anger and "I'll show you" mood
The book is still not selling as you've hoped and as the masking effects of denial begin to wear, reality and its pain emerge, "They don't care! They will never read my book because they don't give a s*** about me!" You may aim your anger at inanimate objects, complete strangers, friends or family.
At this stage you do extensive research into book marketing and you jump in with full force.

Stage 4. Doubt
You doubt yourself and ask,
"Why doesn't it sell? Why they don't like my story? Nobody wants my book! It's my fault! I should have done more!"
​The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control through a series of “If onlys” such as:
If only I had a better book cover made
If only I had paid for that expensive book release event
If only, if only... 

Stage 5. Sadness
You get into sad-mode, feel sorry for yourself, and you need a hug
Sadness and regret predominate this type of sad mood. You're ready to give up because nobody is giving you the much needed positive feedback.
"I worked so hard and nobody appreciates my work."
​A bad review deepens your sadness but a good review or kind words about your book from a friend or stranger could instantly snap you out of this sad mood.

Stage 6. Realization
The realization of not becoming an overnight bestseller
This phase is marked by withdrawal and calm. This is not a period of happiness over the release of your book. At this phase you climb down of your self-made pedestal, look around and talk to other authors. They assure you that maybe one percent of writers experience overnight success and they advice you to keep writing.

Stage 7. Acceptance
You accept the things you can't change
By now you've published a few books and you're doing your best to promote them. You keep writing because you love it and the lack of sales and lack of interest by friends and family doesn't bother you too much anymore.
​
Keep on writing my friends, and write stories you would like to read.

When I first saw the #metoo hashtag, for a second I thought that maybe a happy with the story parent gave my children's book Metoo, the Annoying Littler Sister a hashtag.

As I started reading what the hashtag is about and the personal stories I've read so far had opened my eyes to this widely accepted "boys will be boys" mindset for so long that it became part of our lives.

Those who started this movement deserve a huge thank you from all of us!

When I was growing up it was kind of expected from teenage boys to grope and "tease" girls, lift their skirts or unstrap their bras and nobody considered a sexual assault. Those boys who were decent enough not to do it were called sissies or pansies.

Girls felt humiliated, uncomfortable as well as violated, but complaining to teachers in school was futile because of the age-old excuse, 'boys will be boys" was so deep-seated that girls were blamed for bringing about assaults or even rape by dressing or acting too provocatively, being too pretty, and not being modest.

Yes, it does sound like the culture where women have to hide their bodies and faces under potato-sack-like clothes so they don't excite men, but they get raped, abused, and assaulted anyway. Sick bastards always find the excuse to degrade and assault women to 'keep them in their place" of ignorance and oblivion. 

When I was a young teenager, even my own mother said, 'You're a pretty girl so boys pick on you. If you were ugly they wouldn't touch you or tease you." Nice, huh?

My dad and my protective brother got furious when I told them about the humiliating incidents. Having a macho image, they reacted violently. Once a boy about 3 years older than me snapped my bikini top off at the beach and while everyone laughed, I ran for cover. I was so upset, not only because he did that to me and exposed my just budding breasts but because everyone was laughing with him. I was shaking by the time I got home with a towel wrapped around me. I told my dad what happened. He had daggers in his eyes and after I changed, he asked me to go with him and show him the boy. When we got to the beach and I pointed out my attacker, dad walked up to him, stared him down and suddenly reached over and yanked his swimming shorts so hard that it ripped apart leaving the boy naked. He yelled at the frightened kid, "Touch my daughter again and I'll feed your pitiful looking balls to my dog."
The boy was humiliated and got a little taste of his own medicine. Moreover, because he wasn't as well equipped in the midsection of his body as other boys his age, the "peanut" nickname that someone yelled out while they were laughing at him, stuck with him for life. 

Being a woman, I felt sorry for the boy. Yeah, we have a huge heart and we embrace everyone who gets hurt, we're just built that way. 
So, instead of complaining or looking for help or sympathy, I learned to defend myself. I used witty comments when I could, I avoided situations as much as I could, and I admit, I kicked, clawed and punched a few macho boys in my time.

Sexual assaults didn't end with elementary school, it continued at work as well and the excuse changed to "men will be men."

As a young nurse, I experienced it quite a few times. My first day started in the surgical unit with a short, chubby, bald doctor slapping my butt and he said, "Aren't you pretty? We're going to have some fun here, you'll see." I looked at the charge nurse for advice and she just rolled her eyes, "He's a harmless old goat. Don't pay attention to him." she said.

Well, I did and it bothered me a lot that every chance he got this sweaty midget with foul breath grabbed me or tried to rub against me. One time he snuck up behind me when I was doing a urinalysis at the counter. He grabbed my waist and tried to hump my thigh. I turned and threw a cupful of urine in his face. He threatened to fire me but for some reason he didn't and left me alone after that.

I support this movement with all my heart!
Hopefully by sharing stories more and more men and women will open their eyes and start changing the mindset of society for our daughters and granddaughters. 

Men or women, read the stories that women are sharing by typing the hashtag #metoo in social site search. Thank you for reading mine!

"Trick or Treat is a request by children on Halloween; they pass from door to door asking for goodies and threatening to play tricks on those who refuse."

Golden Book Award Winner, spooky and funny heroic fantasy adventure for middle-grade children and young adults.

​​“Szabo and Bonadonna’s story crackles with action and excitement. Their storytelling moves with the speed of lightning, but never lets the reader get lost. The atmosphere is just spooky enough to be fun but never enough to be too scary.” 

Nikki and her impish cousin, Jack, find a mysterious black pumpkin in the forest on Halloween. A wise talking skeleton, Wishbone, tells them that the ghosts of the Trinity of Wishmothers are trapped inside the pumpkin and can’t be freed without their wands.  The children offer their help, so the skeleton takes them on a journey to the world of Creepy Hollow to retrieve the three wands he hid long ago in Red Crow Forest, the Tower of Shadows, and the Cave of Spooks. Ghoulina, the beautiful vegetarian ghoul, and Catman, who was once a man, join them on their quest. They must face danger and conquer evil every step of the way as they search for the Wands before the wicked Hobgoblin and his henchman, a Tasmanian Devil, can get their hands on them. This is a fun, humorous and touching story for kids, with plenty of character interaction woven into a backdrop of scary danger, heroic action and lessons to be learned.
Read preview: http://tinyurl.com/ydyxk58w
Amazon print: http://tinyurl.com/y8gxuomb
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/y95rjpqx  
Online stores eBook: https://books2read.com/u/mlKolP
Signed print: http://tinyurl.com/yaee2gym

Nikki and Jack return to Creepy Hollow in this new, action-packed fantasy adventure for middle-grade children and young adults.
On her 13th birthday, Nikki discovers she has magical powers. During a surprise attack by the giant Mutanto, his henchmen Howler and a gang of Werewolves, Wishbone, Ghoulina and Catman arrive to save the kids and tell them about Evila the Grim Witch’s plans to conquer Creepy Hollow. Nikki also learns the truth about what happened to her parents twelve years ago. She and Jack go back to Creepy Hollow with their friends to help them defeat Evila. Jack discovers he can talk to animals when they meet a herd of Wild Horses and he becomes friends with Champ, the clumsy young colt, and Sparky, the orphaned dragon.
Together, Nikki and Jack conquer their fears and gain courage, and in the final battle against Evila and her minions they grow into the warriors they were destined to become.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763YFWRJ
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/7644595
​Coming to more stores soon

A short excerpt:
“Hello, my name is Jack,” he said, sitting down in front of the young dragon. “Can you talk? Can you understand me?”
The little dragon wiped his tears. “Yes, I do,” he said.
“Why are you crying?” asked Jack.
“It’s my parents’ Sadiversary,” replied the dragon.
Jack frowned. “What’s a Sadiversary?” he asked.
“It’s like an anniversary, but not a happy one,” the dragonet told him. “For us dragons, a Sadiversary marks another year since the death of our loved ones.”
“Oh, I’m very sorry,” said Jack. “How long ago did your parents die?”
“Almost thirteen years ago,” said the dragonet.
Nikki cautiously approached them, not wanting to frighten the baby dragon.
“Hello!” the dragon greeted her.
“I can understand you! I have the Gift!” she said.
“This is my cousin Nikki,” Jack told the dragon.
The dragon nodded. “Hello, Nikki,” he said. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you don’t possess the Gift. Dragons can speak to and be understood by humans, animals, and magical creatures, too.”
“Oh,” said Nikki, sounding a little disappointed.
Jack said to the dragon, “You said your parents died almost thirteen years ago. So, what happened to them?”
The little dragon frowned and his green eyes darkened. Wisps of white smoke floated out of his nostrils. “The Grim Witch murdered them!” he cried.
The dragon went on to tell them how Evila had plotted to enslave the great dragons who once dwelled in the northern realm of Dragon’s Den. Her plan was to use her magic powers to force the dragons to serve her, to fight for her, to burn the towns and villages of anyone who got in her way. The race of dragons, being a peace-loving species, fled south, across the Gonji Ocean. The dragonet’s parents were the last to leave their realm, moving slowly because they had a brand-new baby with them. So it was that when they stopped to rest one night, Evila and her minions caught up with them and killed them.
“My mom hid me in a cave, and she and dad tried to fight off Evila and her gang of witches and Wolfmen, but the Grim Witch was too powerful,” said the dragon. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know about me.”
“Well, we know all about Evila,” Jack said.
“You do?” asked the dragon.
“Yes,” said Nikki. “We’re on a mission for the Wishmothers—a mission to destroy Evila and rescue my parents and my friends’ baby.”
“Oh, wow!” said the dragon. “Can I come with you? Maybe I can help? I’ve been so lonely all these years, and it will be fifty years before I reach my full size and I can fly across the ocean to search for the other dragons. I still can’t fly very far. I’m only thirteen years old and I’m not that strong.”
“Sure!” said Jack. “I don’t see why not, and you won’t be alone anymore. Right, Nikki?”
“Right-O, Jack!” Nikki agreed. “And I’m thirteen years old, too!” she told the dragon.
“Oh, thank you!” said the dragon. He flapped his wings, rose into the air and flew over to Jack, landing on his shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind, Jack.”
“Not at all,” Jack told him.
“Looks like you have a new friend,” Nikki said to Jack.
Jack smiled, scratched the dragon behind his tiny ears, and stood up. “Come on, our friends are waiting for us,” he said.
Together they walked back to where their companions waited for them. The dragonet perched on Jack’s shoulder like a parrot on a pirate.
Champ, the young colt, rose to his feet and ran to Jack. When he saw the dragon on Jack’s shoulder, Champ whickered happily, bucking and prancing about with great joy.
“This is Champ,” Jack told the dragon.
“Hello, Champ,” said the dragon.
The little foal neighed happily, jumped straight into the air, kicked backwards with his hind legs, and then settled on his hooves again.
Jack introduced everyone to the dragon, and the dragon said hello to everyone.
“What’s his name, Jack?” asked Catman.
“I don’t know,” Jack said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Everyone has a name,” said Wishbone.
Ghoulina turned to the little dragon. “What’s your name, little one?” she asked.
“Oh, my parents didn’t have a chance to name me, they called me by my baby name, Kicsisarkany,” said the dragon. “Can you find a good name for me, Jack? Dragons are named on their second birthday, but I’ve been all alone. There was nobody to find a good name for me.”
Jack thought about it for a while.
“Come on, Jack,” said Nikki. “We don’t have all day!”
“I’m thinking! I’m thinking!” said Jack.
Then, just as Jack turned his head, the dragon sneezed and tiny sparks flew from his mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” he said.
Jack turned to his friends and smiled. Both his eyebrows were singed. “Oops, remind me next time not to stand too close to this little rascal. Sparky,” he said, wiping the snot off his forehead. “I’m going to call him Sparky.”
The little dragon clapped his wings and said, “Sparky, I like that!” Then he bowed his head. “Sorry about the eyebrows.”
“No biggie,” Jack said. “They’ll grow back.”

Book 1, Three Ghosts in a Black Pumpkin:
EBOOK: http://tinyurl.com/ydyxk58w
PRINT: http://tinyurl.com/y8gxuomb
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/y95rjpqx  
Online stores eBook: https://books2read.com/u/mlKolP
Signed print: http://tinyurl.com/yaee2gym

Book 2, The Power of the Sapphire Wand:
EBOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763YFWRJ
PRINT: https://www.createspace.com/7644595
​

Why the reviews on books is so important to selling sites?
I don't like writing reviews and millions of readers out there never write reviews because it's time consuming, they don't see a reason for it, and when they finish reading a book, they close it and move on to reading the next book.

For me, the best rating is when a reader enjoys the story enough to read my books from cover to cover and don't put the book aside after reading just a few pages or chapters.
If it would be up to me, I would only put one easy click button by the books on selling sites: "finished reading it".

Or, an easy click rating widget such as Netflix uses for their customers to rate movies with 1-5 stars. No fuss, takes one click, and most of all, the vote numbers can't be manipulated to remove or add ratings, so the numbers reflect only the opinion of the customers.

​Why is it so important to have a certain number of reviews on book selling sites?
Books with less than 50 reviews are sitting at the bottom of the shelves.
To my best knowledge, fifty is the minimum number of reviews (however, the higher the better) for books to be shown as "readers also bought" when readers are searching for or buying books in the genre.

I really doubt that my book will ever reach the magic number of reviews. Why?
Because a lot of my 5 star reviews had been removed since Amazon changed its policy, I can only estimate, but the number of reviews on my book would be close to eighty by now.
I may never find out why they removed only the 5 star reviews because Amazon's review policy is vague.

I can only guess why the best reviews were removed:
Maybe because the readers follow me on social sites and Amazon considers their reviews biased because the supposedly "know me"?
We all know that out of hundreds of social site "friends" all of us have only a handful of people we could really call friends. 

Maybe because my book's rating was too high but it didn't earn bestseller status with hundreds of sales every month? I guess it's a good reason because they want to promote books that earns them lots of money, right? My story is magical realism genre, so the reader base is not as wide as for romance or other more popular genres.

Maybe that's their way of keeping the number of reviews way under 50 to give them reason not to show my book in search? 

Maybe because they think that my story cannot be as good as to deserve 5 star reviews and the reviews must be biased?
Readers who like the genre buy and read my books. Most of them rate it with 5 stars because their opinion is that the story deserves a five star. Perhaps for its originality, or maybe because they like my writing style. Why can't a 5 star review be unbiased and reflect the readers' true opinion about the story?

Why do the selling sites ask readers to rate books?  
Since Amazon started removing reviews, it makes the readers feel that their opinion is worthless because it can be removed at the convenience of the publishing site.
Good or bad, the readers' opinion should not be manipulated and should be respected!
There are a lot of angry posts circulating on social sites that a recently published book's 1 and 2 star ratings and reviews are being removed in order to increase the book's overall rating. I can't say it's true because I don't have proof, but I've seen screenshot posts proving that one day there were certain amount of 1 star reviews on the book and they disappeared the next day. 

Anyway, the sad part of not having over 50 reviews on a book is that the selling site doesn't show it to new, potential readers when they search the genre.

I don't have the financial freedom to promote and market my book, therefore, it stays invisible to potential readers. 

Well, not much I can do about it but hope that the next reader will find my book somewhere in cyberspace and leave a few words review to increase my book's chances to be shown. If you're that next reader, thank you in advance!

My story is good, the kind of story I like to read. However, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't rate it with 5 stars. There are hundreds or even thousands of stories out there that deserve the 5 star more than my story.

I would rate my fantasy series 3 stars or 4 stars the most. 
​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XM68LRS/

BOOK 1, Protected by the Falcon
Read preview: http://tinyurl.com/y9xqy7zz
Buy print: http://tinyurl.com/ybkgz6og
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/y92lcj3d  
Online stores eBook: https://books2read.com/u/bQZD50
Signed print: http://tinyurl.com/y9gba57l

BOOK 2, Chosen by the Sword
Read preview: http://tinyurl.com/y8aro433
Buy print: http://tinyurl.com/ybuoos7j
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/ycufhtog
Online stores eBook: https://books2read.com/u/bxgwLe  
Signed print: http://tinyurl.com/ycnqgwcm

Protegida por el Halcón
Read preview: http://tinyurl.com/yb3nmqsu
Buy print: http://tinyurl.com/y7avy22q
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/y8l2gov9
Signed print: http://tinyurl.com/y7kvnn34

Elegida por la espada
Read preview: http://tinyurl.com/yc394p8z
Buy print: http://tinyurl.com/y8k4q55b
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/ybebwao9
Signed print: http://tinyurl.com/y8gsudrl

​#HistFic #Paranormal #fantasy #romance #magicalrealism

I've been writing and publishing for a long time. When my first book was published, all I had to do was to post the new release on my Facebook page and hundreds of books were sold within days.
However, with the huge surge of self-published books came the hard times of promoting books that is getting harder by the minute.
There are thousands of great stories hidden in the haystack of books and readers can't find them because the authors can't afford the growing marketing fees to push their books to closer to the surface.

A large group of authors, desperate to be recognized, started offering their books for free and this practice got out of hand very fast. They created a huge reader base that will not pay for the author's hard work, they want books for free.

I kept looking for new ways to promote my books besides my website and social sites which are getting saturated with free books. I'm getting sales when my books are promoted in a Reader Magazine and I get a lot of visitors on my website, but my book sales are only the fraction of what it was when my first book was published.

​Then I joined author groups thinking that genre specific groups are followed by readers who can find my books too.

​Yes, readers who like the genre follow the blogs and websites. But, because of my last name, I always end up as the last author on the alphabetical list trailing behind hundreds of author names.

Moreover, the sites are more focused on making money from advertisements, so either the authors pay to be featured on the home page for a day or stay hidden on pages that are not even listed on the website menu. ​

Bigger is not always better. In small groups everyone is visible and easy to find.
I created a blog with a small group of various genre authors where every author is visible.

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/ ​

We take turns to write interesting posts every day and we support each other by sharing the posts on social sites. Each author is visible on the sidebar and our pages are easily found on the blog menu.

I want to keep the group small and grow to only about 15-20 members.

​However, we invite guest authors with a catch. They have to write a story inspired by the posted pictures in order to be featured on our blog: 
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/join-us-be-our-guest.html
​

I hurried out of my room and, of course, when I turned, I dropped my phone on the top step.

"Damn it!" I yelled watching the skidding and bouncing on the steps. It landed on the hardwood floor of the living room with a loud crash.

Of course! I thought as I harried down the steps. It had to happen at the worst time possible. Now I have to call the ER on the landline and then it will take who knows how long to replace the broken phone.

Then I heard a ping sound.

I picked up my phone that didn't appear to be broken and saw that I got a text message.

I stared at the words on the screen feeling utterly confused. Then a crazy though ran through my mind with lightning speed, my phone is texting me that it's okay!

Then I came to my senses, Don't be stupid! I scolded my imaginative mind for coming up with such a stupid idea, it's Eva... it must to be Eva... 

I took a closer look at the screen and there it was. Phew... it was Eva. I though feeling relived and burst out laughing.

Thank you Droid for building such durable phone!

Have you any stories when you thought you lost your marbles?
Share it, so I won't feel alone LOL

My coauthor, Joe Bonadonna, and I were shocked and saddened to read this one star review on our book for middle-grade children that a customer posted HERE next to all 5 star reviews.

"​I was shocked to read offensive language in this children's book. I also thought that the book covered material not suited for the age group. I was confused at times at the simpleness of the language and then at times the advanced words that a parent or teacher would have to explain to a child reading this book. I think the authors need a heavy dose of editing."

My first question was to Joe, "Did we piss somebody off?"
(Yes, when I'm talking to friends, sometimes I do use mildly offensive language, but not in children's books)
Joe was just as shocked as I was and we went into a lengthy discussion about what could this reader find offensive, but the only word we could come up with was "poop" that is mentioned in the book once.
We couldn't figure it out which words she referred to as "advanced words" either because the story is written for middle-grade children, therefore, we didn't use "small words baby language" because kids in that age group have a pretty wide vocabulary and they're pretty capable of Googling words that they're not familiar with, which, in fact, prompts them to learn new words.
Then we were wondering about what she meant by, "need a heavy dose of editing" because the story is well edited and even our "grammar nazi" friends couldn't find editing errors in the book.

We are still puzzled but as good little authors do, we didn't and will not contact the reader to find out what made her write such a negative review about our book.

However, Joe contacted customer service and asked them very nicely to read the book and if they find the one star review unwarranted, please remove it.
Yeah, fat chance! He didn't even get a reply that at least would sound like a real person read his message and replied. Nope, he got the usual pre-generated reply that the customer service person just have to copy and paste.  

Anyway, although it bugs the heck out of both of us, nothing we can do about it. We lowly authors can't fight the big giant publishing sites.
See? When I get angry, I tend to use bad words but it's okay to use it in my blog post for adults, right? Well, maybe I'll get a one star review for my blog post too... 

In contrast to this negative review, the book was also rated with six 5 star reviews:

I had such fun reading this
"It’s a while since I’ve read a book written for children, and I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of sophistication there is, while still maintaining a tale suitable for the younger reader. The characters leapt off the page, acted naturally and, this is important for me as a reader, I felt for them, cared for them. There were distinct differences between the different stars in the book, both the real children and the mythical ones, well described and the writing flowed from page to page. I must also mention the illustrations, also delightful, although there were fewer towards the end of the book and I would have loved more of them. A great book to buy for your children or grandchildren."

A new myth for middle-graders
"It's no wonder "Three Ghosts in a Black Pumpkin" received a Golden Book Award and so many rave reviews this early in its career. It's modern fairy tale, built by two with a great ear for the way kids speak today. It's got all the "goo" and spooky characters you expect in modern kind's fantasy. And although it has all this, it is not as scary or traumatizing as "Bambi," a book and movie that traumatized me as a child. Golden Book Award Winner. Spooky, as I said, and funny, Pumpkin delivers heroic adventure for middle-graders. The characters Nikki and her impish cousin, Jack are iconic. They find a mysterious black pumpkin in the forest on Halloween. Soon enough, a talking skeleton, Wishbone, tells them how the ghosts of the Trinity of Wishmothers are trapped inside the pumpkin and can’t be freed without their wands. The children go on an adventure suitable for comics, tv, and even plushy animals. Kids on a quest who meet great paranormal characters and lessons to be learned."

5 Howling Halloween Stars!
"Three Ghost in a Black Pumpkin: A Creepy Hollow Adventure by Erika Szabo & Joe Bonadonna is a Halloween Howling Hit! I loved this action packed scary tale from beginning to end and it will certainly engage young readers at home or school. The protagonists are Nikki and Jack, two cousins visiting Grandma's house on the eve of Halloween. While the two children go walking in the woods, they find a keystone, black pumpkin, and Wishbone, a talking skeleton. When Wishbone tells Nikki and Jack about the three Wishmothers who are trapped inside the black pumpkin, they embark on an exciting journey to find three magic wands, battle the antagonists, Hobart and his Tasmanian Devil, who are conjuring all sorts of hocus pocus mayhem in Creepy Hollow. So Nikki, Jack, and Wishbone enter a special portal transporting them to a place called Wormbelow to save Creepy Hollow. Upon exiting the portal they find themselves in a cemetery filled with pretty flowers, tall trees, and glistening spider webs. Wishbone explains the graves are empty because the spirits are free to fly around. Suddenly, Wishbone's friends appear, Catman and the beautiful Ghoulina. Wishbone introduces his friends to the children and they quickly update him on Hobart's plan to destroy Creepy Hollow. Fascinated by everything he sees, young Jack tries to take pictures with his cell phone to capture the incredible surroundings and creatures. Meanwhile, Nikki carefully listens to how Hobart has locked up the mayor of the town and taken charge of Creepy Hollow. Unfortunately, Creepy Hollow does not offer internet and cameras won't work in this mythical place much to Jack's disappointment. Previously, while Wishbone was dualing Hobart, he cleverly hid the three magic wands. Now, the clock is ticking until midnight when the portal closes and the children can return home for the five friends to find the three magic wands, free the three Wishmothers, and restore harmony in Creepy Hollow. Luckily, the three Wishmothers have granted them three magic wishes which they must learn to use wisely for the plan to work. Together the five friends will venture the Red Crow Forest, the Cave of Spooks, and the Tower of Shadows, battling every mythical creature along the way to save the day. This is book one in a series and I am already wondering what ghoulish adventures await this heroic team. As a teacher, I look for books that teach a good lesson and this one will not disappoint. I recommend this book for home or school libraries for children from ages 6 to 12. I gave it 5 Howling Halloween stars!"

Delightful!
"A blue stone and a black pumpkin found in the woods bordering cousins Nikki Sweet and Jack Brady’s grandmother’s yard transport the two children, accompanied by a talking skeleton wind chime, into the world of Creepy Hollow. They and their finds become central in a desperate attempt to save the town from the power hungry goblin, Hobart T. Hobgoblin and his ruthless accomplices by freeing the three Wishmothers from their imprisonment in the black pumpkin.
Not only does this tale—perfect for ages six to young teens--entertain, it teaches important lessons on how to work with others to accomplish goals, how to face fear, the importance of safety, and how to make difficult decisions. A cast of endearing (and some not so sweet) characters, non-stop action and plenty of twists and turns engages and delights."

There is magic in this story!
"Three Ghosts in a Black Pumpkin is a book that will satisfy the hungry reader. It will not be disappointing. In our era, children are involved in the use of modern tools: cell phones, texting, taking pictures and posting them on face book. Many kids live an unfulfilled life. The children in this story, Nikki and Jack, are no different, but, there is an exception. They get caught up in a realm where they won't get bored. Not a dull moment! They meet mythical characters, witches, goblins, ghosts in spooky, creepy places. The children get involved in saving these creatures that are under spells. This story is intriguing and adventurous. It is engaging, well written and easy to read. You can sense the emotions, courage and fears. It teaches children and young teens a lesson in responsibility. As children reach a certain age, even though not mature, they can venture out into the world, make decisions with no adults supervision, learn to step out their comfort zone, and move through situations that requires their help. The rhymes in the vignettes and the illustrations give a special touch to the story. The authors, Erika Szabo and Joe Bonadonna, share a great talent and imagination when it comes to write children's stories. They take kids and young teens on a magical reading journey that will keep them glued to the pages. I recommend this book for young teens. It is the perfect story for Halloween time. It's like Cool Whip on a pie!"

Venture, if you dare, into Creepy Hollow
"Somewhere in space and time, across from Halloween, is the world of Creepy Hollow. It used to be protected from evil by the Trinity of Wishmothers. Now, though, they are dead and their ghosts have been trapped in a pitch-black pumpkin by Hobart T. Hobgoblin. The wicked Hobart (and his sidekick, Ebenezer Rex, the Tasmanian Devil) is now free to work evil on the land.
On Halloween, twelve-year old Nikki Sweet and her eleven-year old cousin Jack Brady find a black pumpkin. Their immediate reaction is to bring it home and turn it into a jack-o’-lantern. Just as they prepare to fetch a knife, their grandmother’s silver skeleton wind chime Mr. Bonejingles warns them not to do it.
The wind chime was once the mighty hero, Wishbone Jones, but he was reduced to his current state by Hobart’s dark magic. Only with the help of Nikki and Jack can he return home and free the Wishmothers from their prison. With a few magic words, Nikki, Jack, and Jones are magically transported to Creepy Hollow. Aided by Wishbone’s friend, Catman, and Goth Wishmother-in-training, Ghoulina, they begin a quest to find the Wishmother’s three wands that will take them to the Red Crow Forest, the Cave of Spooks, and the Tower of Shadows.
Nikki and Jack are terrific characters. Their humorous bickering and genuine affection for each other make them very relatable. Wishbone Jones and Catman are good-natured foils for the snarky, sometimes cranky Ghoulina. Together, the band of heroes’ quick wits and courage in the face of deadly crows, evil Shadows, and wicked Spooks, will thrill anyone who picks up
The megalomaniacal Hobart T. Hobgoblin is a great villain, who chews up the scenery every time he shows up. Though we never feel sorry for him, we learn enough about his past to understand him.
Szabo and Bonadonna’s story crackles with action and excitement. Their storytelling moves with the speed of lightning, but never lets the reader get lost. The atmosphere is just spooky enough to be fun but never enough to be too scary.
There are also some valuable lessons to be learned along the way. Nikki and Jack must figure out for themselves that while selfishness and greed can lead to a bad end, courage and self-sacrifice can help defeat evil. Szabo and Bonadonna weave this into the story with great skill.
There’s only one real problem with THREE GHOSTS: not enough of Szabo’s delightfully weird illustrations. Combining photographs with painted (?) backgrounds, they bring Creepy Hollow and the characters stunningly to life. My favorite is of the dashing Catman, dressed in brocaded velvet.
I’m unable to do justice to the wealth of detail and action Szabo and Bonadonna managed to pack into this short book. From the very first page, they catch the reader up and then don’t let go until the very last page. Any young reader with an interest in fantasy and adventure should probably like and I recommend it highly."

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Nope, this post is not about my actual shorts, it's about my short stories.
Enjoy a short from my upcoming short story collection,
​
Rainbows and Dark Clouds

I love to tell stories. Some of my short stories are funny about everyday life, other stories are not so funny and talk about human vulnerability, suffering, weakness and courage.

​My neighbor, Bob, moved to a nursing home shortly after he lost his beloved wife. At 92, paralyzed from the waist down, he was unable to live alone.
I always enjoyed Bob’s company, so I visited him often. On one occasion when I was walking to his room, I saw an old woman sitting in the chair by the wall across from Bob’s room.
She looked up at me and said with a serious look on her face, “Your pocket is blinking.”
Her stoic statement surprised me and then I thought, the poor dear probably has dementia. I smiled at her; she smiled back, and then she looked at the beautiful orange cat curled up on her lap, purring. The lady gently stroked the back of the cat and started humming.
I turned toward Bob’s room with heavy heart thinking, it’s not fair. Life plays a cruel joke on us by the time we get old. When we should be enjoying the golden years, if we’re lucky to live that long get there, most likely we’ll lose most of our abilities to enjoy it with.
I forced a cheerful smile on my face, knocked on Bob’s door.
“Come on in!” I heard Bob’s raspy voice.
I opened the door, walked in and took my sweater off. Bob invited me to sit in his pink, velvet covered armchair that was his wife’s favorite. I poured the cappuccino into delicate porcelain cups from my thermos and put the brownies I had baked for him, onto cookie plates.
We talked for a while about books he read recently and music we both enjoyed. At 92 he remembered the past more vividly than what he had for breakfast that day, so as usual, he entertained me with stories of his childhood and his memorable days as a college professor.
After an hour or so I noticed that Bob was getting tired, so I collected the empty cups and plates and washed them. As I was drying the cups and put them back in his china cabinet, Bob said, “Something is blinking in your pocket.”
I looked over to the chair where I had put my sweater on, and I saw the rhythmically pulsating green light of my cell phone. It shone through the thin material of my sweater.
I said feeling ashamed, “Bob, that lady across the hall told me but I didn’t pay attention. I’m so stupid. I assumed she had dementia just because I didn’t realize what she was talking about.”
“Margaret? Oh, no,” Bob laughed. “Her mind is as sharp as a well-made Katana.”
“I’m so sorry,” I apologized. “I should have known better.”
“Don’t sweat it, kiddo,” Bob replied. “See you next week? Oh, could you bake some of your famous cookies, the ones you make with apricot jam and meringue on top?”
“You bet! I’ll see you next Saturday.”
He flashed a tired smile at me and pressed the call button for the nurse’s aid to help him to bed for his nap.
On my way out I approached Margaret and said to her, ‘You were right! I just realized what you said, and my pocket really was blinking.”
“Took you long enough,” she laughed and winked at me playfully.
inked at me playfully.