An apology to my authors, illustrators, publishers and tour organisers.

Easter time, you have to love it!

Chocolate galore!!

I decided to take a few days off with the family, all posts we scheduled and once I was back in the land of internet (what would we do without it?!) I logged on to shared all my scheduled posts…… posts that my blogs decided not to publish!

After a few tears, bashing of buttons and a few choice words (away from little ears) I’ve come to the conclusion that the blog just doesn’t like scheduled posts, especially while I away 😩 no good for me and definitely no good for my authors, illustrators, publishers and tour organisers.

I can only appologise for these posts not going live, and which I’m about to rectify.  I put a lot of time and effort into these book blogs, as do the tour hosts and authors!

I do hope you’ll forgive me, I’m usually all set up and ready to go BUT the internet needs to work (or wordpress) for these posts to be seen, read and loved by my readers.

So enough with the moaning and on with what should have been published over the loooong weekend!

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#BlogTour #TommyTwigtreeAndTheCarrotCrunchers by Michael Firman

Tommy Twigtree and the Carrot Crunchers
by Michael Firman

Tommy Twigtree and his friends enjoy peace and harmony in their garden.

That is until Robbie Rabbit and his Bandits decide that carrots are on the menu!

Tommy Twigtree And The Carrot Crunchers is the first book for children by Michael Firman.

Illustrations are by Nick Roberts.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41030626-tommy-twigtree-and-the-carrot-crunchers

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twigtree-Carrot-Crunchers-Michael-Firman/dp/1912262959

Michael lives in rural Sussex with his wife. His story telling started when his eldest grandchild was old enough to appreciate a bedtime tale. Rather than read to her he began to craft stories about the trees, plants and animals that live in his garden. As time passed and a second grandchild also enjoyed these tales of adventure and daring, the stories began to create a whole world that lived and went about its business right in his garden.

His grand kids, Poppy and Rudi continue to enjoy further developments in the lives of the characters that populate these stories and Tommy Twigtree and The Carrot Crunchers is the first in a series charming garden tales.

Monday 13th August

Book Babble

Love Books Group

Tuesday 14th August

Reading for Pleasure

Wednesday 15th August

Frasers Fun House

Thursday 16th August

Splashes into Books

Friday 17th August

Donna’s Book Blog

Saturday 18th August

Emma’s Bookery

Sunday 19th August

Jazzy Book Reviews

Monday 20th August

Rachel Bustin

Tuesday 21st August

Whispering Stories

Wednesday 22nd August

OBC Mini Reviewers

Thursday 23rd August

Chris Philippou

Friday 24th August

Rosie Writes

Saturday 25th August

Criminally Good

Sunday 26th August

Wrong Side of Forty

#CoverReveal #EternalSeas by @lexi_rees @rararesources

Such a small parcel shouldn’t cause experienced smugglers much trouble, but this parcel is far from normal. Lost and scared after a violent storm, Finn and his sister, Aria, take shelter on a remote island. They discover the parcel contains a relic belonging to a long forgotten people. Locked inside are powers which will change their lives, and the world, forever. As Finn realises his connection to the relic, a vision strikes him – but what does it mean? Who should they trust? And if they decide to follow their hearts rather than their orders, will they manage to deliver the relic in one piece? Chased across the seas as they try to solve the mysteries within the parcel, the fate of this ancient people depends on them. Finn and Aria must choose between what is right and what is easy – and time is running out … With brave protagonists and life lessons of courage and honour, Eternal Seas speaks from a `flawed’ character perspective that everyone can relate to. Young readers who enjoy daring plots and exciting adventures will delight in this original story of different races and tough choices.

Pre-order Link – http://viewbook.at/EternalSeas

Lexi Rees spends as much time as possible sailing and horse riding, both of which she does spectacularly badly. Attempts at writing whilst horse riding have been disastrous, so Eternal Seas was written on a boat; the storm described in the book was frighteningly real.

www.lexirees.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/LexiAuthor

https://twitter.com/lexi_rees

#Spotlight #FromDaughterToWoman by #KimMcCabe – @fayerogersuk

Title Information

Title: From Daughter to Woman

Author: Kim McCabe

Release Date: 18th July

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37916512-from-daughter-to-woman

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408710218

Summary:

This book aims to make the adolescent’s journey just that bit safer, kinder, and better supported – so parents and teens can enjoy the teenage years more.

The teen years are tough – for teens and for parents. Many parents dread the moodiness, dishonesty, preference of friends over family, exam stress, and the push for greater independence. Mothers have a pivotal role to play; this is a guidebook for parents and mothers of girls in particular as they navigate the rocky teenage landscape with their daughters aged 8 to 18. It aims to help them embrace the potential of their child’s teenage years by marking this time of growing maturity for girls and celebrating it with them. We celebrate birth, marriage and death, but this important life-transition from child to young adult is nowadays rarely acknowledged within an appropriate community.

Author Information

Kim McCabe is the founder of Rites for Girls. As the originator and facilitator of Girls Journeying Together groups, she offers guidance to preteen and teen girls and simultaneous support for their mothers. In training other women to facilitate these groups, her dream is that every girl grows up expecting to be supported and celebrated in adolescence. Kim was commissioned to write a section in Steve Biddulph’s latest best-selling book, 10 Things Girls Need Most: To Grow Up Strong and Free.

Kim is a home-educating mother of two boys, one girl, two cats and a colony of aloe vera plants; she is wife to a Kiwi, daughter to itinerant parents, friend to a cherished few, and lover of time alone, too. She lives in the Ashdown Forest in Sussex. She sometimes shouts at her children, accidentally steps on the cat’s tail and forgets to water the plants, but she loves her work, her family and her life. She has always had deep affinity with teenage girls, and by sharing her wisdom and compassion she infects the reader with her enthusiasm for this life stage.

Tour Schedule

Monday 2nd July

Zooloo’s Book Blog

Wednesday 4th July

Book Room Reviews

Thursday 5th July

Life in Rose Tinted Glasses

Friday 6th July

Orchard Book Club

Saturday 7th July

Kirstyes

Sunday 8th July

Practical Magic

Monday 9th July

Big Book Little Book

Tuesday 10th July

Inspiring Imarah

Wednesday 11th July

My Life. One Story at a Time

Thursday 12th July

A Daydreamer’s Thoughts

Friday 13th July

The Frugal Home

Sunday 15th July

Obscurity of Life

BlogTour Steve and FranDan take on the world

 

Steve has had enough – enough of cyber-bullies, enough of adults messing up the world. Sharp-witted Fran and her brother worry-wart Dan feel exactly the same. And so, along with his dog Nessie, Steve and the FranDan twins leave town in the dead of night to start on the biggest adventure of their lives…

But if things were bad before, they soon get worse. Much, much worse. Some seriously bad men show up. Why have Steve and Dan been overpowered and led away as prisoners? Why are they kept tied up in the barn of a disused farm?

Having managed to escape, and with no way to call for help, Fran knows it’s up to her to mount a one-woman rescue.

 

Twitter@RonButlinMakar 

Illustrators Twitter @SKARPHEDON 

Publisher Twitter@BCKidsBooks

Publisher Twitter@BirlinnBooks 

 

Buy Link ~ http://amzn.to/2HuueWG

Video link to live reading ~

I love Ron Butlin books! This isn’t the first book of his to land on our doormat and I’m hoping it won’t be the last 😀

The story follows 3 kids, Steve, Dan and Fran, wanting to escape the bullies in their lives they think they can make it in their own with their handmade raft. I enjoyed how they worked as a team to get out of sticky situations and that they didn’ always do things right and made mistakes along the want, cos us kids don’ actually know EVERYTHING! Just dint tell the adults that 😂 I also enjoyed that fact that Fran is kinda the hero of the book, saving the boys from their prison. Their adventure was certainly exciting to read and had me page turning way after bedtime! I cant wait to see what Ron pens next.

Review & Giveaway – Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren.

Title: Prisoner of Ice and Snow (Prisoner of Ice and Snow #1)
Author: Ruth Lauren

Release Date: 7th September 2017

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35382914-prisoner-of-ice-and-snow

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408872757

Valor is under arrest for the attempted murder of the crown prince. Her parents are outcasts from the royal court, her sister is banished for theft of a national treasure, and now Valor has been sentenced to life imprisonment at Demidova, a prison built from stone and ice.

But that’s exactly where she wants to be. For her sister was sent there too, and Valor embarks on an epic plan to break her out from the inside.

No one has escaped from Demidova in over three hundred years, and if Valor is to succeed she will need all of her strength, courage and love. If the plan fails, she faces a chilling fate worse than any prison …

An unforgettable story of sisterhood, valour and rebellion, Prisoner of Ice and Snow will fire you up and melt your heart all at once. Perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell, Piers Torday and Cathryn Constable.

Ruth Lauren lives in the West Midlands in England with her family and a lot of cats. She likes chocolate, walking in the woods, cheese, orchids, going to the movies, and reading as many books as she can. She’s been a teacher and worked in lots of different offices, but she likes writing best. Prisoner of Ice and Snow is her debut novel.

Website: https://www.ruthlauren.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ruth__lauren

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruth_lauren

A brilliant and touching story about a wonderful sisterly bond that goes above and beyond! This story had me hooked on the very first page, action packed with plenty of life lessons to be learnt for all the characters on some level. 

The author had a great way of describing details in the story that made it easy to imagine what was happening, I felt many chills from the book (maybe that was the Ice) I definitely don’t want to be heading for the child’s prison that’s for sure!! I can’t wait for book 2 (so happy that it won’t be an only book) It’s a great read for all and I will be recommending it to all my friends and telling them to be keeping an eye out for Ruth’s other book as I have a feeling she’s going to be a go to author for me and my friends! 

I give this book a very well deserved 5 thumbs up, please don’t leave us waiting too long for book 2 😀

 Proof copy of Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Monday 4th September

Bookish Outsider

Hux Tales

Tuesday 5th September

YA Under My Skin

Book Lover Jo

Wednesday 6th September

PowisAmy

Kirstyes

Thursday 7th September

Library Girl and Book Boy

OBC Mini Reviewers

Friday 8th September

A Bookish Life Blog

Bart’s Bookshelf

Saturday 9th September

Tales of Yesterday

The Book Moo

Sunday 10th September

Rachel Bustin

The Bibliophile Chronicles

Monday 11th September

Minerva Reads

Golden Books Girl

Tuesday 12th September

Live Otherwise

Luna’s Little Library

Wednesday 13th September

An Awfully Big Adventure

Mum Friendly

Thursday 14th September

Emma’s Bookery

Miss Cleveland is Reading

Friday 15th September

Bibliobeth

A Little but a Lot

Saturday 16th September

With Love for Books

Get Kids into Books

Sunday 17th September

Linda’s Book Bag

Fantastic Book Dragon

Thank you to Bloomsbury for the advanced copy and to the lovely Faye for organising and including us on this fab book tour!

 

 

Spy Toys by Mark Powers.

So it would seem that the last week of the holidays is the perfect time for my children to get sick and pass it into everyone in the house, even though i have a million and one things to do….. this post being one for them!! So my heart felt apologies go out to Mark, the wonderful author of this very chuckle-some book and to Faye for organising this great book tour!!
So with me medicated up, a pile of tissues at my side, the kids in a daze on the sofa, let’s get this review live!

 

Title: Spy Toys: Out of Control (Spy Toys #2)
Author: Mark Powers

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36035921-spy-toys

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0744RCYB9

Toy Story meets James Bond in the second book in this incredible action-packed series!

Fresh from the success of their first mission, our heroes the Spy Toys – Dan the Snugaliffic Cuddlestar bear, Arabella the Loadsasmiles Sunshine Doll and Flax the custom-made police robot rabbit – are ready for their next task. This time, the secret code that controls every Snaztacular Ultrafun toy has been stolen and all over the world toys are revolting and turning against the children who own them.

Can Arabella disguise herself as a super-sweet little doll in order to find out more from the daughter of Snaztacular’s top scientist? Can Dan and Flax chase down Jade the Jigsaw, the puzzling prime suspect for the robbery? And can they save the day before the mind-controlled toys forget what it means to play nice?

Author Mark Powers has been making up ridiculous stories since primary school and is slightly shocked to find that people now pay him to do it. As a child he always daydreamed that his teddy bear went off on top secret missions when he was at school, so a team of toys recruited as spies seemed a great idea for a story. He grew up in north Wales and now lives in Manchester. His favourite animals are the binturong, the aye-aye and the dodo. www.spytoysbooks.com

Website: www.spytoybooks.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mpowerswriter

 

Mark Powers where have you been all my life?! Spy Toys: Out of Control has to be one of the funniest books I have read…… ever! This book is a super funny and quick read, I read it in one sitting. We jump right in with the evil Hog Wild and his prisoners over a fiery volcano, the brave Dan, Arabella and Flax come to the rescue crushing Hog Wilds plan but obviously that’s not the only bad guy in the book….. we have Jade the Jigsaw (you’ll never look at a jigsaw the same ever again!) Gemma who’s not exactly what she seems and….. well I won’t spoil the book for you.

I loved  Tim Wesson’s illustrations throughout the book, especially the surgical gown wearing chipmunks!! I felt this was a great addition to the book. I also thought the FREE Toy Spys game app (available on iTunes & Google Play Store) was a great fun addition to this book, it’s the first time I have seen anything like that 🙂 

So if you live a fun and gigle-sim read then Mark Power’s books are definitely for you. Make sure you check him out today!

 

Month of Reviews Day 17 – The Ice Dragon.

An enchanting tale of courage and sacrifice for young readers and adults by the wildly popular George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the series that inspired HBO’s Emmy Award-winning GAME OF THRONES. Lavish illustrations by acclaimed artist Luis Royo enrich this captivating and heartwarming story of a young girl and her dragon.

From ancient times the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember.

Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara’s home. And only a winter child―and the ice dragon who loved her―could save her world from utter destruction.

My daughter picked this up from the library, she’d not started it so I had a quick look and before I knew it I’d finished! It’s a quick read (120 pages) about 7 year Adara, born to the winter she comes across as cold and emotionless with not only the children her age but also her family. The animals of winter are her friends, especially the ice dragon. I loved reading about the bond that forms between these two unexpected friends, friends that go above and beyond for each other.

I have to mention the drawings/sketches in this book, WOW! They are amazing, detailed and mesmerizing. They added a lot to this book for me.

A great read for all….. I was drawn to it because of the author, my daughter because of the content and drawings.

Month of Reviews Day 16 – Lucy’s Fingley Discovery.

Get set for…TIME TRAVELLING FUN!
Doing Ordinary Deeds Lovingly Changes Lucy’s Life Forever!
Join Dodl Bear when he visits Lucy’s dream and invites her on a Time Travelling adventure to The Magical World of Fingley, an eco-world where humans, fairies and other curious creatures live.
Funny, Educational, Inspirational and Magical!
Lucy’s Fingley Discovery shows that having responsibilities can be fun!

When Lucy doesn’t look after her pet hamster Winston properly she gets visited by the magical bear Dodl in her dream. She was suppose to clean out his cage regularly, brush him, and do the basic things all pet owners should, but Lucy soon got bored of Winston and always found an excuse to get out of tiding her room or cleaning out Winston’s cage. So when she met Dodl he took her back to the magical world of Fingley were she soon learns that tidying isn’t so bad after all, but when Winston gives her a big scare she hopes its not to late to start being a good pet owner and keeping everything tidy and helping her mum out around the house. Join Dodl and Lucy on there magical adventure through Fingley which is home to fairies, mermaids and pegacorns.

My favourite part of the story was when Lucy found the little card from Dodl that he’d deliberately left for her on the floor so that when she was cleaning she would find it, on the card was a few lines from the song they sang in Fingley while they were cleaning to make time go a little quicker and to get the job done. I also liked it when Lucy rode Aura the pegacorn across the beach.

 I also enjoyed the activity pages and competitions in the back of the book. The pages also have little decorations which draw your eye, that was a nice little touch.

I love the front cover which is very bright and colourful with Lucy, her pet hamster and her room in the background with Winston’s cage. 

I think the book would have been better if there had been some pictures throughout  the story, the only pictures in the book are the ones with the activities and the map of Fingley at the start. Other than that I thought this was a great read!

Thank you to Daisa Morgan for sending me a copy of this book and I hope you read the other books in the Fingley series.

And the world of Fingley doesn’t end there!

You can now visit…. yes visit the world of Fingley!

Located in Barton upon Humber, you can eat, visit and  explore Fingley. Whether that be a craft session with ‘Astoria the Pixie’ and ‘Elgiva the Elf’ a play in the soft play centre, tea in the park or even the chance to hold your very own birthday party with them! The choices are endless in the world of Fingley!! 

More detail can be found on their website —> http://www.fingley.com

Month of Reviews Days 11, 12, 13 & 14 round up.

Unfortunately due to family issues our weekends posts didn’t get published so to catch up we thought a round up post would be a great idea!

Having children at both ends of the reading spectrum (12 and 2) our trips to the library are some what difficult. The toddler part is at the opposite end of the building to the teen part so our trips take at least an hour, even longer if they have had a delivery of new picture books!! Even though my teen is no longer into these books she sure has a good look at the new additions and who can blame her when THESE are in the pile….. or should I say in our home pile! 

Beautiful, bright picture books that draw even the oldest of picture book lovers attention! Out of the three of us we all grabbed a different book, Lily-May (aged 2) picked up the two Masiy books and the Aliens Love Underpants books (much to the amusement of her older sister) all these books have vivid and bright pictures that held her attention, she asked for the Alien book reading umpteen times and asked for it back on today’s visit (must check to see if there are more books in the series!) 

Amy-Lee (aged 12) and the one pretending to be uninterested in the toddler section slyly added King Jack and the Dragon and Jack and the Beanstalk to the pile. These books had more words than we would usually choose but to my amazement Lily-May actually really enjoyed these books, I loved the little tabs on the Beanstalk book.

I added the Ben and Holly and My Brilliant Dad to the pile. We love Ben and Holly and this book was a fun read with all the buzzy bees and the My Brilliant Dad was given to Dad for the bedtime story (think he secretly liked the theme!)

And our trip is never complete without at least one book from our absolute favourite author, David Melling. We are HUGE Hugless fans, it doesn’t matter if we have already had the book we never go home without one of these! 

All these books are great reads, with bright vivid illustrations that keeps my toddler’s attention for the whole book (and that’s a great achievement at times!) make sure you keeps your eyes out for them on your next library visit!