Free Books
Reading eBooks and listening to audio books for FREE has kind of became a motto among readers. The book sales drastically dropped the past two years or so and very few authors can make a living from writing.
Just like many authors, I put food on the table by having a paycheck and writing had to become a hobby. Win a complimentary audio book
Audible is giving the authors and narrators complimentary download codes to get the book out there and get the sales going by having ratings and reviews posted on the site.
Guess what my profession is to make a living and send me in CONTACT message before April 1st. You might be one of the winners and listen to my new audio book for free. Listen to a few stories
Short stories about life’s humorous, happy, and dark moments.
Some of the stories are from my years in nursing, Steve's clumsiness and my cooking disasters might make you spit out your coffee laughing. The stories of my pets will put a warm smile on your face, and the stories about life's darker moments might make you wipe a tear or two. Rainbows and dark clouds are part of life, Without darkness there can be no light. Without moments that make us cry, We can’t enjoy moments that make us smile. Without moments that make us laugh, We can’t get through moments that make us sad.
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I'm happy to participate in the Blog Hop Please get yourself comfortable as we take a daily tour through these fabulous blogs. Each blog you visit will entertain you with exclusive articles and excerpts from this fantastic new book. Get an insight into the character’s head with interviews and profile images. Then hunt down the hidden word that will get you one step closer to the $10 Amazon Gift Card. You are here to celebrate the release of Star Shepard, book one of the space western series, Shepherd of Light, by R.R.Virdi. Star Shepherd knows a raw deal when he sees one. And he’s got the worst one in the galaxy: to deliver a mysterious package to a rebellion to change the scales of power in favor of the common man. As he meets with an old friend to seek much-needed help, he draws the attention of a genocidal admiral willing to destroy entire worlds if it means catching Star Shepherd. Will Star survive the chase and bring hope to the rebellion, or deliver a gift into the hands of a worse power, tipping the galaxy into further chaos? https://amzn.to/2CpdbEA  Here is your mystery word:Pilot  Visit the participating blogsand collect the 10 hidden words for your chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card Send your completed word list to kkantasauthorassist@gmail.com
Tuesday 19th – https://rrvirdi.com Wednesday 20th –http://indiescififantasy.com Thursday 21st – https://readcommendations.com Friday 22nd - https://mmcquillen44.wixsite.com/themadhouse Saturday 23rd - https://www.authorerikamszabo.com/my-thinking-board Sunday 24th - https://rainne15.wordpress.com Monday 25th - https://www.maryrwoldering.com Tuesday 26th - https://karensbookbuzz.wordpress.com Wednesday 27th - https://katerauner.wordpress.com/ Thursday 28th - https://celthric.com Blog Hop Tour organized by Author Assist When I imagine people as if they were animals
I've been a social site since the beginning, and I come across a lot of different people. Mostly because I'm a writer and I promote my books on social sites, but I'm a social person as well, and I like to meet new people.
Unintentionally, I started comparing people to animals and imagined how they would fit the popular (not necessarily true) behavior of certain animals. This is a fun post and I don't mean to offend people or animals. Enjoy! The lion
They pounce on every post they come across and leave angry, dismissive comments. They ridicule people and try to bully them into accepting their views but usually don't explain their own views clearly. They want attention and want people to follow them but don't really know how to lead. They keep adding nasty comments and get into a verbal fight with everyone which leads to vulgar language and even threats.
They think: I know I'm right, but they're too dumb to understand. The boar
They share mostly political posts that fit their beliefs. They viciously attack everyone with different political views but refuse to get into discussions with others.
They think: I'm not gonna waste my time with stupid idiots. The snake
They visit the secret and closed group they belong to every day and scan the posts. They stay in the background and never like or comment on any post, but they carry the information they find to other groups and present them as their own ideas.
They think: Keep posting, my lovelies, so I can reap what you sow. The monkey
They read everyone's comments and then state their opinion which is usually the summary of the most liked and replied comments.
They think: They like me! OMG, they really like me, and they think I'm smart! The hyena
They have antisocial, and even psychopathic personalities. They don't read happy posts and get angry and jealous when people post about their success. They like to read posts about tragedies, pain, and suffering. They might leave a sad face emoji yet they don't feel sympathy or empathy toward anyone.
They think: They think I like them or feel sorry for them. Morons! The Blue Jay
They're the first to report tragedies and bad news. They warn everyone about food recalls, internet scams, fake news, and any negative news they can find.
They think: I must warn everyone. Oh, my God! I have to post this right now! The peacock
They're narcissistic people who work hard to succeed but hate everyone who's prettier and more successful than they are. They gossip behind everyone's back and enjoy the chaos they cause. They put everyone down but they never confront anyone face to face.
They think: Hehe! Now they’re not so chummy anymore. The lamb
They're always happy - on the surface. Their page is filled with smiles, cute animal videos, and beautiful pictures. They're fierce defenders of their religion but try to disagree with their beliefs, they turn into a roaring lion.
They think: Don’t show your pain. Be nice to everyone. The owl
They don't post much but when they do, it's always worth reading. Their posts are well thought out and they have realistic views on just about anything.
They think: This post is not correct, let me look into it and let them know what I think. The dove
The most empathetic people on social sites. They truly feel sympathy tenfold for every sufferer but when they see too much tragedy, they have to mute the person who always posts about pain and disease. They can’t take the heightened emotions. They also feel the joy of others and like to communicate with happy, successful people.
They think: I feel your pain but it’s too much to bear. I can’t take it anymore, I must stay away from you.
I hope you enjoyed this fun post. If I left out any type of social animals, let me know in comments.
Like to listen to fun stories?
Listen to a few stories from my new audio book
But I write Spanish Nah, I don't dance Spanish either.. I never learned to speak Spanish and I know only a few words I picked up working as a nurse, but I love a sound and rhythm of this melodious, dynamic language. And, of course, I love watching the Spanish dance as well. You might ask how could I publish books in Spanish if I don't speak the language. Well, I met Carmen, an English teacher in Spain, on Facebook, and she mentioned that she needs to refine her English skills. So I asked her if she would translate some of my books. She agreed, and, of course, I paid for the translation because I value the work of others. First she translated two of my children's books and later my fantasy series. Sandra enseña a su familia y amigos a comunicarse con personas con discapacidad auditiva. Este divertido libro ilustrado lleva un importante mensaje para los niños, como aprender a no juzgar o burlarse de alguien sólo porque es diferente. La vida de algunas personas con discapacidad no es divertida y vivir con una discapacidad conlleva muchos retos, pero nosotros podemos hacer sus vidas más fáciles en vez de más difíciles. Cuando la abuela Rosa perdió la audición, Los padres de Sandra se sintieron frustrados y tristes. No sabían qué hacer y cómo aprender a comunicarse mejor con ella. Ellos intentaban gritar, cambiar el tono de voz o acercarse a su oído cuando se dirigían a ella, pero no servía de nada. Rosa podía oír algunos sonidos claramente, pero otros no podía escucharlos bien. Para ellos se convirtió en una lucha diaria poder comunicarse y empezaron a echar de menos las reconfortantes conversaciones de sobremesa. Sarah, Emma’s mom, promised to bird-sit Pico for two weeks but soon regrets her decision because the noisy parrot keeps screeching and squawking all day, annoying her family and the neighbors. When Pico makes a mess of Emma’s room, Emma gets very angry, but her friends help her. Charlotte notices that Pico seems sad, and Pedro finds out why Pico is shrieking so loudly all the time. The parrot is frustrated because nobody pays attention to him, and nobody understands what he wants. The purpose of this English and Spanish bilingual book is to show children the beauty of another language and that learning a new language doesn’t have to be boring, it could be fun. The story also delivers a message that when we don’t take the time to listen to each other, we tend to judge others quickly before we get to know them
Durante siglos, Morana esperó el momento adecuado para reunirse con su amado Joland y conseguir el poder necesario para gobernar el clan ancestral, que aún persiste oculto entre nosotros, con su estricta jerarquía, reglas mortales y tradiciones. Ilona no sabe que ha sido elegida para detener el malévolo plan de Morana. Tampoco sabe nada acerca de su legado personal ni de leyendas o rituales, cuando comienza a recordar las instrucciones de su madre, ocultas entre rimas. No es consciente de que su tranquila vida como doctora está a punto de cambiar y que se verá arrastrada a un peligroso mundo lleno de secretos. El descubrimiento de su poder de sanación y su capacidad de detener el tiempo son a la vez, emocionantes y aterradores. Aparece un hombre siniestro e Ilona relaciona su presencia con una serie de misteriosas muertes a su alrededor. Por otro lado, habiendo estado enamorada en secreto de su mejor amigo, de repente, se siente atraída por el extraño que aparece en su sueño, sintiéndose muy confundida por el fuerte sentimiento de atracción. The series is available in English
books2read.com/The-Ancestors-Secrets-Trilogy books2read.com/Prelude-The-Ancestors-Secrets-Trilogy-Book-1 books2read.com/Turmoil-The-Ancestors-Secrets-Trilogy-Book-2 books2read.com/Destiny-The-Ancestors-Secrets-Trilogy-Book-3 Re-blogged from the Our Author Gang blog
Write Blog Posts and Articles 1. Articles can provide authors with presence in the jungle of the net.
If you don't already have an established, well-visited website or blog, it may take years for Google to trust your site and rank in search results. The OAG blog, because we add interesting content daily, have a pretty strong presence in search. 2. Practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better and more unique your writing style will become. Writing articles is a great way to practice and perfect your craft. Your articles will also help you grow your audience and get them excited about your next book. 3. Articles establish your credibility. Having good, interesting, and valuable content is going to establish your credibility which is especially critical for nonfiction authors. Readers and buyers have millions of books and authors to choose from, but something about you and your writing needs to stand out. Finding your articles online through Google searches, or seeing them posted on your social media channels and your book selling sites, will show buyers that you are serious about your writing 4. Writing articles enables you to build your audience. In addition to having a presence on social sites, writing articles also help you build connections. Articles and blogs are another way for people to get to know you and your work. It’s a way for people to hear your voice. A lot of authors write articles for other blogs or website or agree to share and promote another author’s blog with their community. This is a great way to reach new audiences. 5. You get valuable feedback. Okay, there are a few jerks who criticize anything anonymously just because they're jerks. That's why the OAG blog is set up the way that only those can comment who signed into Google. Re-blogged from the Our Author Gang blog  I just sent out my March Newsletterand this morning and just got this angry message to my website:  He left a fake email and most likely fake nameHe calls himself Justin, so this is my public reply to him:Dear Angry Man, I send out newsletters to my subscribers, because they SUBSCRIBED and are interested. I don't collect emails through tricky giveaways or through unclear, misleading methods. The only two ways anyone can subscribe to my newsletters: 1. If they visit my website and click on the clearly written pop-up window to subscribe. 2. They read my newsletter by clicking on the posted link on social sites and and click the subscribe button. If you subscribed by mistake or no longer interested in receiving my newsletters, please scroll to the bottom of the newsletter and simply click the UNSUBSCRIBE button. Using foul language and marking my newsletter as spam is uncalled for when there is a way to behave in a civilized manner. Thank you! What could be the reason of his anger?Is it because anger feels better than feeling sad, miserable, or desperate? Anger gives us a temporary feeling of false power. Is it because hiding behind a fake name gives him the freedom to say whatever he wants and hurt anyone who happens to be in his way without consequences? Is it because he's powerless to control his own life or maybe he feels entitled and angry at the world because the things he wants are not handed to him on a silver platter? I wonder... What do you think? If you'd like to read my NewsletterClick here: https://static-promote.weebly.com/share/32b605b5-fa97-43d0-838c-83784110da2c Or on the picture below  As always, happy reading and writing!Click to read my February Newsletter  Wolves in sheep's clothing Vanity publishers contact me from time to time either on my website or on the phone (which supposedly hidden on social sites, but I guess made accessible to those who pay for the list) They hire great sales people, I have to give them that! I picked up a call yesterday after the pleasant female voice stated that she read my book, loved it and would like to offer a publishing contract. "Which book is that?" I asked. I heard papers shuffling and keyboard clicking and then she said, "The Ancestors' Secrets trilogy." "What did you like about the series?" "Uhm… I really like the story and I'd like to publish it for you. It has great potentials and you will make a large profit after we publish and market your book." It was obvious she knew nothing about my books and was trying to find a naïve and willing pigeon to make a large profit. Lately, since self-published or first time publishing authors are more aware of the pitfalls of vanity publishers, they often pose as a traditional publisher. When asked, they vehemently deny that they are vanity publishers. "We don’t accept everyone who submit their manuscript." Yeah, right! They're hounding authors all over the net. "We don't ask authors to pay for printing just to pre-purchase a certain number of books!" The truth? Vanity publishers rely on the authors to pay for everything, therefore, they have little interest in selling books to other than the authors. A few factsA vanity publisher that poses as a traditional publisher. They don’t mention their fees on their websites or when they contact you, you find out that money is due only after you submitted your manuscript. They claim to share the cost: Terms like “co-op”, “joint venture”, “partner”, “subsidy”, or any other phrase that suggests the publisher will be matching your investment with its own. They will not, their profit comes from the fees its authors pay and the books the authors buy. Glowing referrals from literary agencies or freelance editors. Reputable literary agents and freelance editors don’t work with vanity publishers. Period. A promise (usually implied) of a profit. They provide a nice sales projections chart supposedly showing that you can make thousands of dollars by selling X number of books. A setup fee or deposit. "You’re not paying to publish, you just contribute to the cost of preparing your book for printing." A fee for some aspect of the publication process other than book production. They ask you to chip in for editing, or for cover art, or for publicity (real publishers provide these things as part of the publication process, at their expense). Fees for “extra” services over and above the basics of publication. They offer you the opportunity to pay for expedited editing, or special website placement, or inclusion in book fair catalogs, or enhanced marketing. Because they say these services are optional, they can claim that they're not making authors to pay to publish. A claim that your fee is only part of the cost, with the publisher fronting the rest. They're making you feel better about paying a large amount of money. Their profit comes from the fees authors pay and the books the authors buy, rather than from book sales to the public. Refusal to provide a firm price and detailed information. The exact amount you are expected to pay should be stated and included in the contract with any extras such as warehousing or marketing. You could be hit with enormous additional fees. Verbal promises that aren’t included in the contract. If the publisher is willing to promise something, it should also be willing to include it to the contract. Enticing. They might say that they can’t risk a regular contract for someone who hasn’t yet published anything, but would be willing to split the costs and profits of the book. Or they may tell you that they’ve used up their traditional publishing budget for the year, but would be glad to work on a “co-op” basis. Or they may promise to publish your second book without charge if the first book does well. Beware. They want to hook you quick, before you change your mind. They might tell you that its offer is “limited time only" or if they feel hesitation on your part, they put you on hold for a few seconds and come back: "I talked to my supervisor and we can offer you a $$$ drop of the fees." My advice? Run, and either find a traditional publisher that don't charge any fees, or self-publish your book with KDP, Nook, Smashwords, D2D, iBooks, Google etc. I found a few vanity publisher names on GoogleAuthorHouse is, according to the (BBB) Better Business Bureau just one of the alternative names for Author Solutions, LLC. Other alternative names include:
Xlibris, LLC Westbow Press Trafford Publishing, LLC Responder Media Partridge Singapore Partridge India Abbott Press Partridge Africa Palibrio Author Learning Center Archway Publishing Booktango Balboa Press Content Distributors, LLC iUniverse, LLC Inspiring Voices LifeRich Publishing PublishAmerica, also known as: PublishAtlantica PublishBritannica (not to be confused with the encyclopedia company) PublishIcelandica Tate Publishing & Enterprises Xulon Press Tips from a writer who tried, failed, |
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Blurb, the description of your book
Make your first impressions count. Nothing will send your readers running faster than a description that is boring, rambling, and especially if it's full of self-praise such as listing fifteen awards.
I haven't mastered this yet, but my best advice is to read as many book descriptions in your genre to find the common structure and what kind of plot points are highlighted.
I haven't mastered this yet, but my best advice is to read as many book descriptions in your genre to find the common structure and what kind of plot points are highlighted.
Editing
A good editor is merciless about inconsistencies, plot holes, poor structure, clichés. Before you hire one, make sure you understand the different types of editing: development/content editing, line editing and copyediting, and proofreading. It’s nearly impossible for one editor to accomplish all levels of editing in one pass, and manuscripts require different types of editing.
Formatting
Every bookseller has different technical requirements that need to be strictly observed. Check their guidelines to find out which file type they prefer you upload the book. Formatting your manuscript cleanly ensures that readers enjoy a seamless experience, so be mindful of fundamentals like paragraph and page breaks and uniform headings and line spacing.
if you can learn the details of formatting and do it right, it's great!
But if you need help, shop around and find a service you're comfortable with. You might want to try Golden Box Books
if you can learn the details of formatting and do it right, it's great!
But if you need help, shop around and find a service you're comfortable with. You might want to try Golden Box Books
When to publish?
Christmas story released on Christmas Day, gardening advice in November or holiday cooking in April. If your book is specific to a certain time of the year, release your book about a month in advance.
Promotion and marketing
If no one knows about your book, no one will buy it. Nowadays, when the book market is saturated, even traditional publishers are asking their authors to help with marketing on social media and with advertisement.
I'm no expert in marketing and since the books sales plummeted due to thousands of books flooding the market every day, it's getting harder and harder to find readers.
What I do:
I send out a newsletter every 2-3 months when I have at least 30-40 new subscribers. I always get a few sales the days after the newsletter goes out.
I post regularly on the OAG blog with my fellow Author Gang Members. The blog has a lot of viewers and followers, we have posted over 600 articles so far.
I try to keep my website updated and make my books available for purchase in my Bookstore.
I post on my Facebook page, Twitter profile and LinkedIn with less success than I would like.
I don't have the financial freedom to pay for pricey advertisements but I'm researching some options such as Amazon, FB, and Google ads.
I'm no expert in marketing and since the books sales plummeted due to thousands of books flooding the market every day, it's getting harder and harder to find readers.
What I do:
I send out a newsletter every 2-3 months when I have at least 30-40 new subscribers. I always get a few sales the days after the newsletter goes out.
I post regularly on the OAG blog with my fellow Author Gang Members. The blog has a lot of viewers and followers, we have posted over 600 articles so far.
I try to keep my website updated and make my books available for purchase in my Bookstore.
I post on my Facebook page, Twitter profile and LinkedIn with less success than I would like.
I don't have the financial freedom to pay for pricey advertisements but I'm researching some options such as Amazon, FB, and Google ads.
Putting your eggs in one basket
Don’t restrict yourself to selling your book through one channel. Get your book out there to as many people as possible. Explore your options and look into publishing with IngramSpark, Amazon, B&N, which give you access to different types of retail outlets. The library market is important as well, which you can reach through eBook distributors like Smashwords and Draft2Digital.
When the price is right
Price your book too high, and no one will buy it. Price it too low and readers may assume that because your book is cheap and it's not selling at regular price, so it must not worth even the 99 cents.
Research what other books in your genre and at your page count are selling for. One thing to remember, while promotional discounts can be a valuable bump in your sales, customers are savvy enough to wait until the price drops on your other books as well.
Research what other books in your genre and at your page count are selling for. One thing to remember, while promotional discounts can be a valuable bump in your sales, customers are savvy enough to wait until the price drops on your other books as well.
Consider the advice
Don't dismiss the opinion and advice of professionals such as editors, cover artists, book formatters. They know what they're doing and it's part of their jobs to give you their opinion.
A few examples:
The author wanted to publish the novel as romance but as I formatted the book, I read parts of the story here and there. I advised the author to either tone down the sex parts that sounded more like nauseating porn or publish it as an erotica book but rewrite the parts so it would sound a bit less trashy. Advice ignored, the book was published as romance and reported as pornographic and banned from the publishing site as a misleading genre.
Another author wanted the novelette size manuscript to look like a full novel in print and asked me to pump up the book with a large font. wide margins and added empty pages. Let me tell you it looked ridiculous with only 5-6 words per line, but that's what she wanted so I excluded my name as a formatter of the book.
A first-time writer published a children's book for kids 4-8 with language and word use meant for college students. I warned her about it and the editor gave her advice, but the author ignored it and changed the words back as she initially wrote them. Needless to say, the book was reported by readers as highly inappropriate word use for children and taken off the market by the selling site.
About four years ago an aspiring author posted in my writers’ group about his upcoming horror novel and said he quit his job to become a full-time writer. Everyone advised him to keep his job until his book makes money, but he said his book will be a bestseller.
We haven’t heard from him for about a year, and then he posted that his wife left him, so he had to take a part-time job and put his writing on hold.
Two years ago, he announced that he published his book a week before and is calling Amazon because his profile doesn’t show any sales. They told him that it’s because nobody purchased it.
Authors in the group gave him advice how to start promoting his book but he said it takes too much time out of his writing his next book.
Then he posted that he had 17 sales and his book rank rose to the top hundred in the genre. He gave us “advice” how to make it happen. He joined a “buy my book and I’ll buy yours” author group and they’re boosting each other’s book ranks.
Later he started ranting about “stupid readers” who don’t buy his book and when he gave away his book for free to get reviews, the one- and two-star reviews began piling up. He started using profane language, so I banned him from the group.
I don’t see his book on selling sites and in search of his name only his FB profile comes up, so I’m guessing he either gave up writing or published under a different name.
A few examples:
The author wanted to publish the novel as romance but as I formatted the book, I read parts of the story here and there. I advised the author to either tone down the sex parts that sounded more like nauseating porn or publish it as an erotica book but rewrite the parts so it would sound a bit less trashy. Advice ignored, the book was published as romance and reported as pornographic and banned from the publishing site as a misleading genre.
Another author wanted the novelette size manuscript to look like a full novel in print and asked me to pump up the book with a large font. wide margins and added empty pages. Let me tell you it looked ridiculous with only 5-6 words per line, but that's what she wanted so I excluded my name as a formatter of the book.
A first-time writer published a children's book for kids 4-8 with language and word use meant for college students. I warned her about it and the editor gave her advice, but the author ignored it and changed the words back as she initially wrote them. Needless to say, the book was reported by readers as highly inappropriate word use for children and taken off the market by the selling site.
About four years ago an aspiring author posted in my writers’ group about his upcoming horror novel and said he quit his job to become a full-time writer. Everyone advised him to keep his job until his book makes money, but he said his book will be a bestseller.
We haven’t heard from him for about a year, and then he posted that his wife left him, so he had to take a part-time job and put his writing on hold.
Two years ago, he announced that he published his book a week before and is calling Amazon because his profile doesn’t show any sales. They told him that it’s because nobody purchased it.
Authors in the group gave him advice how to start promoting his book but he said it takes too much time out of his writing his next book.
Then he posted that he had 17 sales and his book rank rose to the top hundred in the genre. He gave us “advice” how to make it happen. He joined a “buy my book and I’ll buy yours” author group and they’re boosting each other’s book ranks.
Later he started ranting about “stupid readers” who don’t buy his book and when he gave away his book for free to get reviews, the one- and two-star reviews began piling up. He started using profane language, so I banned him from the group.
I don’t see his book on selling sites and in search of his name only his FB profile comes up, so I’m guessing he either gave up writing or published under a different name.
Hope you find this post helpful
Add your tips and questions in comments
Which country celebrates 2019 already?
Watch where the midnight ball drops around the world in the live video
Video credit YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uev9jlCqKE
Happy New Year!
To my family, friends, and readers around the globe!
Present covers
My trilogy, The Ancestors' Secrets, is getting a makeup. It is in the capable hands of my editor, Lorraine Carey, and I've been designing the new covers for the eBooks and prints.
New covers
About the story
Speculative urban fantasy, alternate reality, romantic historical fiction trilogy.
When a young doctor, Ilona, starts to develop unusual powers, her life and her beliefs change. Thrown into a world of clan mysteries, traditions and secrets, she begins remembering her mother’s instructions concealed as rhymes.
Punished by the ancestors long ago, Mora has waited centuries for the chance to reunite with her beloved Joland. Now, she seeks to gain the power to rule the ancient clan with a strict hierarchy and deadly laws that still exist hidden among us.
Ilona has been chosen by the ancestors to stop Mora and save the future of the clan.
Her birthright as a Healer runs alongside her desires as a woman. She has been in love with her best friend but is also drawn to the stranger who appears in her peculiar dream.
Ilona must save herself and her family from Mora’s evil plans, uncover ancient tribal secrets, and find her Destiny Box… the box that contains the message of the Ancestors.
Does she have the strength to fight evil?
Click to read excerpts and meet the characters on the page:
When a young doctor, Ilona, starts to develop unusual powers, her life and her beliefs change. Thrown into a world of clan mysteries, traditions and secrets, she begins remembering her mother’s instructions concealed as rhymes.
Punished by the ancestors long ago, Mora has waited centuries for the chance to reunite with her beloved Joland. Now, she seeks to gain the power to rule the ancient clan with a strict hierarchy and deadly laws that still exist hidden among us.
Ilona has been chosen by the ancestors to stop Mora and save the future of the clan.
Her birthright as a Healer runs alongside her desires as a woman. She has been in love with her best friend but is also drawn to the stranger who appears in her peculiar dream.
Ilona must save herself and her family from Mora’s evil plans, uncover ancient tribal secrets, and find her Destiny Box… the box that contains the message of the Ancestors.
Does she have the strength to fight evil?
Click to read excerpts and meet the characters on the page:
Decorating the Christmas tree was a family night when I was young. We listened to Christmas music, I made strings from popcorn, glued shiny, colored paper and cut out small snowflakes from white paper. My dad painted walnuts with gold and silver paint. Mom hung the special candy on the tree branches, that is made only for Christmas in Europe. This candy is a small bon-bon filled with various flavored filling such as chocolate, vanilla, marzipan, chestnut, fruit flavored jelly or caramel.
I wasn't supposed to eat the Christmas candy until we opened the presents Christmas morning, but I was about four or five years old when I noticed my dad sneaking into the dining room on Christmas Eve while mom was taking a bath. I peeked and saw dad carefully sliding the candy out of the wrapping and smoothed the paper back, so it looked like the candy was still inside it.
After dad settled down to watch TV, I sneaked into the dining room and gorged on the delicious, chocolate covered candy. In my childish mind my actions were justified. If dad can do it, so can I.
Christmas morning came, and I felt so tired that I didn't even feel the usual excitement of opening the presents. I didn't sleep well, tossed and turned most of the night. Dad was yawning and seemed tired as well.
After we had opened the presents, mom said, “Now we can eat some Christmas candy.” She reached up to take one, but when she touched it, the shiny wrapping paper flattened between her fingers. She touched the candy one by one and only found a few at the back of the tree that still had the bon-bon in it.
Mom looking at our guilty faces burst out laughing. “I guess you two didn't sleep much last nigh having a sugar high and now you can barely keep your eyes open! You learned your lesson I guess, next year leave some candy on the tree for me.”
From then on, it became a tradition to “steal” a few candy off the tree but dad and I never again put ourselves into a sugar coma.
After dad settled down to watch TV, I sneaked into the dining room and gorged on the delicious, chocolate covered candy. In my childish mind my actions were justified. If dad can do it, so can I.
Christmas morning came, and I felt so tired that I didn't even feel the usual excitement of opening the presents. I didn't sleep well, tossed and turned most of the night. Dad was yawning and seemed tired as well.
After we had opened the presents, mom said, “Now we can eat some Christmas candy.” She reached up to take one, but when she touched it, the shiny wrapping paper flattened between her fingers. She touched the candy one by one and only found a few at the back of the tree that still had the bon-bon in it.
Mom looking at our guilty faces burst out laughing. “I guess you two didn't sleep much last nigh having a sugar high and now you can barely keep your eyes open! You learned your lesson I guess, next year leave some candy on the tree for me.”
From then on, it became a tradition to “steal” a few candy off the tree but dad and I never again put ourselves into a sugar coma.
Merry Christmas
New Release
 | Short stories about life’s humorous, happy, and dark moments. Some of the stories are from my years in nursing, Steve's clumsiness and my cooking disasters might make you spit out your coffee laughing. The stories of my pets will put a warm smile on your face, and the stories about life's darker moments might make you wipe a tear or two. Rainbows and dark clouds are part of life, Without darkness there can be no light. Without moments that make us cry, We can’t enjoy moments that make us smile. Without moments that make us laugh, We can’t get through moments that make us sad. ~Erika M Szabo |
Editorial review:
The Rainbows and Clouds by Erika M Szabo is a collection of fun anecdotes, heartwarming stories, and slice-of-life tales that evoke a wide range of emotions. It's impossible to choose a favorite story because I loved them all, particularly the tales that explored the challenges of having a pet. There are several stories within this collection that explore the best - and the worst - of humanity. We are reminded that not everything, or everyone, is what they appear to be and that the best things in life are often surprises. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone! It truly is something special.
~Tricia Drammeh
The Rainbows and Clouds by Erika M Szabo is a collection of fun anecdotes, heartwarming stories, and slice-of-life tales that evoke a wide range of emotions. It's impossible to choose a favorite story because I loved them all, particularly the tales that explored the challenges of having a pet. There are several stories within this collection that explore the best - and the worst - of humanity. We are reminded that not everything, or everyone, is what they appear to be and that the best things in life are often surprises. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone! It truly is something special.
~Tricia Drammeh
Teaser
Nurse's Voice
A large man in the ER screamed bloody murder after two nurses tried to insert an IV in his arm and failed. The guy threatened to call his lawyer and sue the hospital. He called the nurses incompetent fools, so, because I was the supervisor on that shift, they called me to deal with the angry man.
I walked into his room, introduced myself and told him, “Sir, I’m going to try to start your IV.”
He yelled, “This hospital is full of ******* idiots! I hope you know what you’re doing!”
I put my nurse’s face on and said in my soothing nurse’s voice to break his foul mood, “Don’t worry, sir, I just watched a video on YouTube and learned how to start IVs.”
The surprised look on his face was priceless and I heard the nurses taking sharp breaths outside the door, ready for another angry eruption.
“What? You’re kidding, right?”
I just smiled at him and started preparing the IV kit.
“Okay, you get one shot!” he replied somewhat calmer, but there was a calculating look on his face as if he was already counting the money he would get from a lawsuit. He watched me like a hawk, and I saw his wife from the corner of my eye holding her phone and recording my every move.
After I started his IV and adjusted the IV fluid drip he said calmly, “You did alright.”
I left his room and one of the younger nurses gave me a fist bump and said, “I didn’t believe it when they said you’re a patient whisperer, but now I know.”
A large man in the ER screamed bloody murder after two nurses tried to insert an IV in his arm and failed. The guy threatened to call his lawyer and sue the hospital. He called the nurses incompetent fools, so, because I was the supervisor on that shift, they called me to deal with the angry man.
I walked into his room, introduced myself and told him, “Sir, I’m going to try to start your IV.”
He yelled, “This hospital is full of ******* idiots! I hope you know what you’re doing!”
I put my nurse’s face on and said in my soothing nurse’s voice to break his foul mood, “Don’t worry, sir, I just watched a video on YouTube and learned how to start IVs.”
The surprised look on his face was priceless and I heard the nurses taking sharp breaths outside the door, ready for another angry eruption.
“What? You’re kidding, right?”
I just smiled at him and started preparing the IV kit.
“Okay, you get one shot!” he replied somewhat calmer, but there was a calculating look on his face as if he was already counting the money he would get from a lawsuit. He watched me like a hawk, and I saw his wife from the corner of my eye holding her phone and recording my every move.
After I started his IV and adjusted the IV fluid drip he said calmly, “You did alright.”
I left his room and one of the younger nurses gave me a fist bump and said, “I didn’t believe it when they said you’re a patient whisperer, but now I know.”
Money can get you anything, right?
But money can't buy you fairness and honesty
My books are promoted by this book marketing site and one of my covers were chosen to have a chance to be cover of the month by votes.
It is a nice feature on this site because when the authors and website visitors share the voting link, the books might have a chance to find potential readers who might never see these books otherwise.
So, like a good little author, I shared the link on my social sites when the voting started on Nov. 1st. On the 2nd of November I got a message on my profile offering unlimited votes for $1 each.
Right! Why would I buy votes? It's unethical, unfair to the contestants and misleading to readers.
Today I got a message on my website:
It is a nice feature on this site because when the authors and website visitors share the voting link, the books might have a chance to find potential readers who might never see these books otherwise.
So, like a good little author, I shared the link on my social sites when the voting started on Nov. 1st. On the 2nd of November I got a message on my profile offering unlimited votes for $1 each.
Right! Why would I buy votes? It's unethical, unfair to the contestants and misleading to readers.
Today I got a message on my website:
No matter how honestly and fairly the promo sites are trying to conduct these friendly contests, someone will pounce on it right away trying to make money and making the clean and friendly contests feel dirty and corrupt.
Some highly competitive authors might take advantage of this to win contests, but is it fair to the other contestant who don't want to win by cheating, or even if they don't mind cheating, they don't have the financial freedom to pay for votes.
I'm not buying votes, I'm just grateful for the promo this marketing site provides for my books. If my books are not shown to readers, they will just sit at the bottom of the virtual bookshelf, collecting virtual dust.
Some highly competitive authors might take advantage of this to win contests, but is it fair to the other contestant who don't want to win by cheating, or even if they don't mind cheating, they don't have the financial freedom to pay for votes.
I'm not buying votes, I'm just grateful for the promo this marketing site provides for my books. If my books are not shown to readers, they will just sit at the bottom of the virtual bookshelf, collecting virtual dust.
 | My cover didn't win. If you're interested in speculative historical fiction, take a look at my trilogy HERE |
"It's little things that mean so much"
I made a new profile picture/logo for my page yesterday and a dear friend, Cindy, liked it a lot, so I surprised her this morning and made a logo for her.
She loves coffee, writes absolutely beautiful poetry, and her favorite color is purple.
After I sent her the picture, she wrote this beautiful poem for me that made me cry.
She loves coffee, writes absolutely beautiful poetry, and her favorite color is purple.
After I sent her the picture, she wrote this beautiful poem for me that made me cry.
LITTLE THINGS
It's little things that mean so much
A kind word, a gentle touch
Handmade treasures filled with love
Or surprise gifts, just because
When life seems hard and hope is lost
Hearts feel thoughtfulness, not size or cost
The smallest gesture of a dear friend
Sparks belief the darkness will end
Rainbows start shining through the rain
Life's Garden begins to bloom again
~By Cindy J. Smith
It's little things that mean so much
A kind word, a gentle touch
Handmade treasures filled with love
Or surprise gifts, just because
When life seems hard and hope is lost
Hearts feel thoughtfulness, not size or cost
The smallest gesture of a dear friend
Sparks belief the darkness will end
Rainbows start shining through the rain
Life's Garden begins to bloom again
~By Cindy J. Smith
It's little things that mean so much
It made me happy to make something nice for her and it made her happy that I thought about her. And then, she made me cry happy tears when she wrote a poem, just for me.
It made me happy to make something nice for her and it made her happy that I thought about her. And then, she made me cry happy tears when she wrote a poem, just for me.
Do something nice today for someone
A kind act will brighten a friend's day and your day as well. Trust me!
There is so much misery, jealousy, cruelty and suffering in our world, brighten someone's day if only for a minute, and put a happy smile on their faces.
Cindy is a great poet, her life experiences provide her with inspiration.
Wife, mother and grandmother, she has a myriad of beautiful memories to draw from. Never having been good at playing the part of "starving artist", she has had many careers. Recently she retired from being an over-the-road truck driver with her husband, Dave, which provided different perspectives of the world in which we live. Cindy has published five poetry books (with two more coming out in December) and a children's book. More of her poems appear in various anthologies as well as several books by fellow authors.
You can find Cindy's poetry books on AMAZON
Her page on FACEBOOK
And on TWITTER
And three of her eBooks on many sites:
There is so much misery, jealousy, cruelty and suffering in our world, brighten someone's day if only for a minute, and put a happy smile on their faces.
Cindy is a great poet, her life experiences provide her with inspiration.
Wife, mother and grandmother, she has a myriad of beautiful memories to draw from. Never having been good at playing the part of "starving artist", she has had many careers. Recently she retired from being an over-the-road truck driver with her husband, Dave, which provided different perspectives of the world in which we live. Cindy has published five poetry books (with two more coming out in December) and a children's book. More of her poems appear in various anthologies as well as several books by fellow authors.
You can find Cindy's poetry books on AMAZON
Her page on FACEBOOK
And on TWITTER
And three of her eBooks on many sites:
Because I couldn't finish this story to little Johnny
Today I will share a painful memory with you
This painful memory stayed with me throughout my nursing career and I'll never forget this little boy who loved listening to my stories.
As a young nurse, I worked in the pediatric unit for a short while. Johnny was a nine-year-old cute as a button little boy who had leukemia. The medications and treatments wiped him out physically and emotionally but he still had a sweet smile for everyone who entered his room.
Restrained sobs choked me every time I saw his pale, angelic little face and heard him say, "Hello, beautiful. Give me that shot quickly and tell me a story." (his father was a flirt and he imitated him by calling the nurses beautiful or gorgeous.)
Our storytelling sessions started when he had a very bad day and the medications didn't work to suppress his nausea and headache. All I could do was sit by his bed, hold his hand and wait for the stronger medication to kick in. To break the silence and get his attention away from heaving and pain, I started reciting a fairy tale, "Once upon a time..."
As I continued the story, his breathing slowed and he hung onto every word seemingly forgetting his pain and mystery for a few minutes. The story with medicine became our routine and one morning, because I didn't remember any more fairy tales that I had read as a child, I started telling him my childhood memories.
One of my fondest memory was how my best friend and I saved four drowning kittens when a cruel neighbor threw them into the river.
Johnny grew weaker and weaker and could listen to the story only a few minutes at a time, but he remembered the next day where we left off. When we got to the part where my mom prepared a wicker basket for the kittens, Johnny's eyes lit up and said, "A kosarnyi kiscica" which means "A basketful of kittens."
When I wrote this story into a children's book last year, in memory of little Johnny, I gave the title to the book he came up with: A Basketful of Kittens.
I never had a chance to tell him the end of the story. There were only a few minutes left to tell him how Daniel and I dealt with the neighborhood bullies, but when I entered little Johnny's room the next morning, his bed was empty.
As a young nurse, I worked in the pediatric unit for a short while. Johnny was a nine-year-old cute as a button little boy who had leukemia. The medications and treatments wiped him out physically and emotionally but he still had a sweet smile for everyone who entered his room.
Restrained sobs choked me every time I saw his pale, angelic little face and heard him say, "Hello, beautiful. Give me that shot quickly and tell me a story." (his father was a flirt and he imitated him by calling the nurses beautiful or gorgeous.)
Our storytelling sessions started when he had a very bad day and the medications didn't work to suppress his nausea and headache. All I could do was sit by his bed, hold his hand and wait for the stronger medication to kick in. To break the silence and get his attention away from heaving and pain, I started reciting a fairy tale, "Once upon a time..."
As I continued the story, his breathing slowed and he hung onto every word seemingly forgetting his pain and mystery for a few minutes. The story with medicine became our routine and one morning, because I didn't remember any more fairy tales that I had read as a child, I started telling him my childhood memories.
One of my fondest memory was how my best friend and I saved four drowning kittens when a cruel neighbor threw them into the river.
Johnny grew weaker and weaker and could listen to the story only a few minutes at a time, but he remembered the next day where we left off. When we got to the part where my mom prepared a wicker basket for the kittens, Johnny's eyes lit up and said, "A kosarnyi kiscica" which means "A basketful of kittens."
When I wrote this story into a children's book last year, in memory of little Johnny, I gave the title to the book he came up with: A Basketful of Kittens.
I never had a chance to tell him the end of the story. There were only a few minutes left to tell him how Daniel and I dealt with the neighborhood bullies, but when I entered little Johnny's room the next morning, his bed was empty.
This book is for you little Johnny!
 | Bianca and her best friend, Daniel, grew up together under the watchful eyes of Peanut, Bianca’s St. Bernard. The huge dog was their babysitter, playmate, and bodyguard. They were inseparable, so people started calling them the BFF Gang. When summer vacation came, Bianca and Daniel decided to go swimming in the river when they were confronted by Mark and his cronies of the Wolf Pack Gang. Find out how Peanut told Mark, in his own doggy language, how much he dislikes brute bullies. When Bianca and Daniel finally got to the river and were happily splashing in the cool water, they heard Peanut’s angry bark, and they saw an old woman approaching the riverbank with a basket in her hand. When the woman reached the edge of the river, she took a tiny, meowing kitten out of her basket and threw it into the river as far from shore as she could. The kitten flailed in the air, desperately crying, and then splashed into the water. Find out what happened to the kittens and how the children dealt with the bullies. |
Read a few pages from the book
http://pubhtml5.com/ahsh/nllv
Creepy Hollow Adventures
My best childhood memories are the bedtime stories my parents read to me before I fell asleep. Although dad knew the Spiffy Goose word for word after reading it 300 times, he was a good sport and kept reading it with me over and over.
Later, when I learned to read, I quickly discovered the "flashlight trick" and read my favorite stories under the cover way into the night.
Joe Bonadonna and I wrote this fantasy story for children 8-14 which is a great read-along for children 6-8 as well.
Read a few pages from the books
Book One
Golden Book Award Winner, spooky and funny heroic fantasy adventure for middle-grade children and younger adults. A great read-along for children 6-8 as well.
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.
Book Two
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.
The series is also available in one book
as paperback and hardcover
|
EBOOK books2read.com/u/3nOPkR Amazon b&w PRINT: https://tinyurl.com/ybecq233 B&N b&w PRINT: https://tinyurl.com/yaz35xs7 B&N color PRINT: https://tinyurl.com/y7b59r75 |
A few illustrations from the books
The werewolves
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Jack & Nikki
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Catman
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Evila
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Review quotes
"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."
"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!"
"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."
The authors
Erika M Szabo
http://www.authorerikamszabo.com
"Erika became an avid reader at a very early age, thanks to her dad who introduced her to many great books. Erika writes alternate history, romantic fantasy, magical realism novels as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 4-12 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them. Erika also likes to encourage children to use their imagination and daydream about fantasy worlds.
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“Much like Erika, Joe’s dad introduced him to books, as well as movies and music, at a very young age. He was encouraged to write as soon as he could hold a pencil. While Joe writes mostly Heroic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror and Science Fiction for an older audience, he decided to reach out to a younger audience and write something entertaining, as well as educational. This is his first collaboration with Erika, and his first children’s book.”
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They called me chicken one too many times...
Nowadays kids have an "app" for everything and games for entertainment and they forget to use their imagination. Without smartphones we were pretty inventive to entertain ourselves and we made personal connections instead of cyber "friends"
As kids, we did a lot of crazy and stupid things. although I was scared silly, I hated that the kids called me chicken because I shrugged off too many dares, so I thought I had to accept this one.
As kids, we did a lot of crazy and stupid things. although I was scared silly, I hated that the kids called me chicken because I shrugged off too many dares, so I thought I had to accept this one.
As young teenagers, we always traveled in a pack. We did a lot of stupid things together and dared each other to do more stupid things. Well, we didn't eat Tide pods, jumping out of a moving car, sucking on shot glasses or anything that stupid, but we were pretty inventive too.
Usually, I made a joke out of it when the others dared me to do dangerous things such as jumping into the icy river but that mid-November evening they called me a chicken one too many times so I gave in.
The dare was to walk across the cemetery that only had two gates and was surrounded by stone wall. There was only one gate in and one gate out, there was no chance to cheat. Two older kids who did the dare the previous year became the self-appointed judges and walked to the opposite gate to wait for us rookies as we walked across one by one.
My friend, Steve, was brave enough to go first. We saw him for a little while walking down the close to a quarter-mile path between the tall headstones and dark mausoleums in the eerie light of the full moon. Then we heard a loud thump and his muffled cry that gave us goosebumps. We looked at each other ready to go after him when he yelled out, "I'm okay! Just tripped over a bench."
A few minutes later we heard a cheer from the other gate and one of the older kids yelled, "Who's next?"
Okay, let's get this over with, I thought and crossed the gate. I was scared. Walking across the cemetery was a shortcut on the way home from school and I'd used that shortcut a lot, but the headstones looked a lot taller and a whole lot scarier than in daylight.
I kept walking throat constricted and knots in my stomach, but I kept walking. Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow from the corner of my eye. I turned my head and there it was, back-lit by the moon, a werewolf. I saw it clearly as it raised it's head and howled. I froze and couldn't move a muscle. Although I screamed in my mind, I couldn't make a sound.
Read the full post HERE
Gary's Bookshelf Review at MBR Bookwatch
Becky and I are honored to have our book reviewed by MBR Bookwatch.
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Gary Roen's review
"Bullies get their due in "the Haunted Bakery of Seven Pines" The authors bring together characters into a most interesting situation combining a haunted mansion with a bully who wants to prove he is not afraid of anything by spending the night in a vacant home that has had many legends told about it for many years. The solution to the aggressive behavior of certain kids is handled in a most unique way that makes for an interesting read that is enhanced by the artwork of artist Sudipta Dasgupta. There are many symbolic renderings for readers to pick up on in "the Haunted Bakery of Seven Pines that increase the enjoyment of this work for all ages to appreciate."
Gary Roen Senior Reviewer You have complete permission to utilize the review in any manner you deem useful for marketing and promotion.
Read the original review HERE
About the story
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
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 background of the story
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.
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.
A few more reviews from Amazon
It's not cool to be a bully
June 24, 2018
By Grace Augustine
Albert, the school bully, talked his friend Timmy into being just like him. They were the "cool" boys...always calling other classmates names, and puffing out their chests. That was until one day one of the other students challenged Albert and Timmy to prove they weren't just the words they slung at others. This challenge led them into more trouble than they were already in...an abandoned bakery, an evil witch, and boys who were scared spit-less fill the first half of this epic children's novel. This is a classic tale of the good kids against the bullies, important life lessons are learned in an unconventional way through an unlikely ally. The Haunted Bakery of Seven Pines is a lovely story for elementary and middle schoolers.
History Lesson
June 25, 2018
By Bev
This book melds history and fiction while also weaving a moral into the story. Hauntings from Becky Robbins’s childhood are resurrected, and incorporated into a children’s book that is based on an actual “haunted” bakery in Virginia, but is a vessel to intrigue and instruct readers. Anti-bullying literature must grab the reader’s attention early on, and the Haunted Bakery certainly delivers. The book has a lesson to teach but is also light hearted and fun...and scary!! Love this little book filled with history and histrionics and a lesson to be learned.
This book was a fun read and had a wonderful lesson for 5-12 year-olds
June 25, 2018
By Christina Weigand
This book was a fun read and had a wonderful lesson for 5-12 year-olds. When the school bullies are challenged to visit a haunted house they are surprised at what they find. They will learn a valuable lesson about bullies.
Five to twelve year-olds will learn valuable lessons about bullying. This can be a good tool for teachers and parents to be used in teaching children about bullying without being preachy or having it look like they are being taught a lesson.
Children will enjoy this fun tale of mystery and intrigue as the bullies take up the challenge and learn a lesson.
Toinette
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a fun story that teaches an important lesson.June 30, 2018
This is an important book. The fact that it's a fun story with lovely illustrations is just a bonus. It's obvious that the central theme of this story is bullying but there's more to it than that. While the main characters of the story are, Albert and Timmy, two school bullies, there are other characters in the story who could also be considered bullies as well. Plus, there's also a witch worth mentioning.
At the beginning of the story, we see Albert and Timmy bullying the other kids, but it's pretty clear that this isn't a behavior that they do simply out of spite. Both boys have experienced some form of bullying themselves in the past and therefore they’re simply ‘beating the other kids at their own game.’ I think this is a wonderful dynamic to explore in children's fiction. I think it's a good idea to explore in any type of fiction. I think too often people feel that a bully is just a bully, but often there's more to the story. And then there's the evil witch. Perhaps there's more to her story as well.
While the action of the story begins with a dare that sends Albert and Timmy on their adventure into the haunted bakery, there are underlying tones to the story that you might miss if you don't pay really close attention. To young readers, the fun, mystery, and adventure of the story will pull them in, along with the colorful images, but adults will appreciate the other significances of the story, hopefully prompting them to discuss them with the young readers.
Aside from the central theme of bullying, the story also touches on aspects of: asking and seeking help from others, accepting help from others, accepting others as they are and for their differences, and even acknowledging the changes in times. Considering the social climate of modern times, being able to look back at the past and see how things have changed and or improved is important. I feel more people should take time to look at the past for improvements while continuing to strive for even better in the future.
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which has in no way affected my opinion or overall rating.
I think this is a fun story that teaches an important lesson. I highly recommend it to elementary classroom teachers, parents, and anyone else seeking a way to help deal with bullying.
Teresa Fudala
5.0 out of 5 starsBully Buster
July 2, 2018
The Haunted Bakery is a great book! It deals with bullying and I have two small children and their attention span is very limited. I read the book to them and they sat through the whole book and it was like they were mesmerized by the illustrations. I recommend this book and give it 5 stars.
Sandra Watts
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful book to read to your small children.
July 2, 2018
A wonderful book to read to your small children. I work in a Pediatric dental office and I have this book in our office. A well written book and wonderful illustrations. A great price for a great book!!!!
Erika M Szabo
Author of urban fantasy, magical realism novels and children's books,
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Every Life Is Precious
Everyone Gets Paid From Book Sales- Except The Author
Favorite Internet Pastime
February Newsletter
Fundraiser For Animals
Genderless Characters In Books?
Good Old Fashioned Romance
Got Money? Buy Votes!
Hearing Loss
Hidden Messages
Holiday Book Sale
Inferior Or Equal?
Is The Lovely Shade Of Romance Turning Dark?
It's Monday!
I Would Love To Have A Shiny Sticker On My Resume!
I Write Children's Books Because...
MBR Bookwatch Review
#metoo
My Books Are Getting A Makeover
My Green Thumb
MY SHORTS
Oreo
Paranormal Fantasy
Prejudice
Rainbows And Clouds
Raise Some Paws
Readers Do Judge A Book By Its Cover!
Read For Animals
READING IS GOOD
Re-blogged: 5 Reasons Why Authors Should:
Re-blogged: Full Moon Dare
Re-blogged: I Don't Speak Spanish
Self-publishing Made Too Easy
Share Some Book Tweets On Tuesdays
Sharing & Linking Frenzy
Sign Language
Social Site Animals
SPOOKY
Spooky Story For Children
STUCK AT 31
The Bad Guys In Books
The Danger Of A Quiet Simile
The Mascot
The New Kind Of Book Hoarder
There Is So Much More To Communication Than Just Speaking
The Warning Signs Of Vanity Publishers
Those Dreaded Negative Reviews
Vanishing Book Reviews
WANNA SEE? CLICK!
Watch Live: 2019 Celebrations Around The Globe
WHERE DO YOU SELL YOUR BOOKS?
Who Are You Jared?
Why Do I Tell Stories?
Why Do People Lash Out In Anger At Others?
Why Should I Write Book Reviews?
Write A Book They Said
You Like Free. Right?
You Make A Hungarian Flinch When...
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December 2015
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July 2015
June 2015
April 2015
December 2014
October 2014
September 2014
For retailers, bookstores, and libraries, my books are available from INGRAM with returnability option
My books are available in many online store
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Copyright 2012 © Erika M Szabo
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