Giveaway – The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby @Jenny_Lundquist @KathyHabel

Posted on September 19, 2017 by fundinmental

The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby

Violet Barnaby searches for the joy in life after losing her mother in this sweet and funny follow-up to The Charming Life of Izzy Malone.

Violet Barnaby is a having a blue Christmas. She’s still grieving the loss of her mother, and to make things worse, her dad has just married Melanie Harmer, a.k.a. the meanest teacher at Dandelion Hollow Middle School. But on the day Violet and her dad are packing up and moving into the new house they’ll share with Melanie and Melanie’s two children, Violet finds a letter her mother wrote to her before she died, asking Violet to enjoy Christmas, along with a Christmas Wish List—things her mom wants her to do during the holiday season. On the list are exactly the kinds of things Violet doesn’t want to do this year, like Be Someone’s Secret Santa; Give Someone the Gift of Your Time: Volunteer; and Bake Christmas Cookies.

Violet shows the letter to her friend Izzy’s Aunt Mildred, who calls a meeting of the Charm Girls, a club Izzy and Violet belong to along with their friends, Daisy and Sophia. Aunt Mildred decides she will give them each a charm to put on their bracelet if they do all of the tasks on the Christmas Wish List, which Violet is not too happy about. She’d rather forget about the list completely, but feels compelled to honor her mother’s wishes.

And when Izzy’s crush confides a big secret to Violet, Violet feels like she is stuck between her best friend and the boy who she just might have a crush on, too…

Praise for The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby

“[an] emotionally perceptive novel of grief and recovery.” – Kirkus

You’ll fall in love with Violet and love every minute of living in her wondrous world! – Stephanie Faris

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * IndieBound

Author Jenny Lundquist

Jenny Lundquist was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, where she spent her time unsuccessfully learning how to surf. When she was younger, she wanted to be either a rock star or a published author. After she taped herself singing and listened to it on playback she decided she’d better opt for the writing route. Jenny is the author of multiple YA and Middle Grade titles including Seeing Cinderella, The Charming Life of Izzy Malone, The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby and the forthcoming The Carnival of Wishes and Dreams (2019).

Website * Facebook * Twitter

amazon or paypal $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 10/10/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Friday 56 #36 & BB #13 – Dinosaurs Eat Paris by Mark Douglas Stafford

Posted on January 16, 2015 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I have been reading and reading and reading.

I finish one book and immediately begin on another.

I can’t seem to stop myself long enough to write the reviews.

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DINOSAURS EAT PARIS by Mark Douglas Stafford

The World Fair 1889 ~ an alternate history.

What a wonderfully fun cover.

I couldn’t help but pick it up when I saw it was FREE on fuonlyknew.

This is a fun book for all ages.

What do you think of the cover?

(page 56% on Kindle)

“Look. Look. There are dinosaurs down there.

Can you believe it, Monsieur?

Dinosaurs. In Paris…”
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(Book Beginnings)

Dinosaurs were the last thing on Dante Righi’s mind as Maria Shiaparelli tucked him into bed, with all the love and devotion of a mother…

It was a warm night in Paris the day before the Exposition Universelle, the World Fair of 1889, officially opened. The day before Professor Augusto Righi, Italy’s greatest living expreimental physicist, would unveil his creation to the world: the Finestra Temporale, a window in time.
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MY REVIEW

Be sure and check out the author. His bio is almost as interesting as the book. LOL

I saw this FREE book on fuonlyknew and had to have it. Who doesn’t love dinosaurs?

Once I started reading, I could not put it down until I turned the last page!

This is a children’s book that can be enjoyed by all ages. I loved it. Dinosaurs Eat Paris was fast paced and easy to read, taking me from the 1889 World Fair in Paris, back in time to the Late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago.

The Exposition had all the latest inventions ~ Professor Augusto Righi’s time machine is only one of them. Thomas Edison is there and so is Alexander Graham Bell, Annie Oakley and her husband Frank, along with Wild Bill Hickok, are some of the most notable. The phone, cars, steam and electrical advances are showcased.

You can step from Paris to Egypt to Paraguay to Uruguay to Hawaii and so many other countries, but no one expected to be able to step back in time until the Professor and Thomas Edison disappeared through the Finestra Temporale, when the lightening struck. Maria jumped through, because she could not let the Professor go without her. The Professor will be very happy that she did. 🙂

I was looking for a different type of dinosaur video, but when I saw this, it cracked me up.

Did you laugh?

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Everyone could see into the portal as if it was a movie, but is it a door instead? If they went in, could they come back out? Would the dinosaurs come with them? What do you think? 😉

It’s a wild ride and Dante is the hero. He’s just a boy, but he is super smart and feels responsible for ridding Paris of the dinosaurs that came through the doorway opened up by his father’s invention.

“What about the dinosaurs? Shouldn’t we do something before they eat Paris?” asked Annie Oakley.

Are scientists more open to the impossible? Were they able, along with Dante, and Annie and her gang able to come to the recuse because of their sense of adventure? They showed no fear, just did what needed to be done and seemed to have a grand old time doing it.

I loved riding with Dante and Annie ~ racing, taunting and distracting the dinosaurs. This would be a roundup of a different kind. As if that isn’t exciting enough, Mark takes it to a more adventurous level as they become “better acquainted with the dinosaurs.” I can see the adventure unfold as if it was a movie and Dante is the star.

I would love to tell you so much more, but the adventure is in the reading and I would spoil it for you if I shared.

It made me think of Night of the Museum, Jurassaic Park, even Star Wars.

This was a fantastic, fast paced romp through 1889 and the Cretaceous period and I would highly recommend it.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

SYNOPSIS

It’s a warm night in Paris, the day before opening day. The day before Dante’s papa, Professor Augusto Righi, Italy’s greatest experimental physicist, will unveil his creation to the world: the Finestra Temporale, a window into time. But things don’t go according to plan, not at all. And it’s up to Dante to set things straight, if he can, before it’s too late, before dinosaurs eat Paris.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Douglas Stafford’s early years were spent building cubbyhouses, writing computer software on some of the world’s first computers and blowing up things in the garage.

After high school he began with a teaching degree and finished with a business degree. He established then sold his first business in 2005 after which he embarked on a career in senior management, running various technology companies in cutting-edge fields.

Mark writes particularly for the children’s and young-adult segment but his highly imaginative and original stories are enjoyed by readers of all ages.

He draws inspiration from the fables of Gabriel García Márquez, Oscar Wild and Hector Hugh Munro. As an aficionado of science fiction he is especially fond of the classics, like Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series which harks back to a time when it was still fashionable to be optimistic about the future.

He is excruciatingly happily married and lives in the hills of northern Sydney, Australia with his wife and four rambunctious children, all of whom are fierce book critics; which helps.

Mark won ‘Highly Commended’ in The Port Stephens Examiner Literature Awards 2013 for his short story ‘The Interview’.

Read more about him at: Goodreads / Website / Facebook

Click on the cover to get your FREE Amazon copy.

I LOVE creature stories. How about you?

What’s your favorite kind of creature?

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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The Earthkeepers by Shawn Underhill Giveaway

Posted on November 15, 2014 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for The Earthkeepers by Shawn Underhill.

This looks like such a cute book, I had to share.

Hope you enjoy.b

The Earthkeepers by Shawn Underhill

From the author of The Great North Woods Pack series comes a new adventure…

Millions of people talk to animals every day. If you happen to be such a person, there’s nothing terribly unusual about you. But what if animals spoke to you in return? What if you could clearly understand them, while the people around you could not? That would be very unusual, remarkably interesting, and would likely be tremendously fun.

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For nine-year-old Ethan Dewfield, talking with his dog is an everyday occurrence. Add to this the fact that he lives not in a regular house but in a sprawling hilltop inn, and what you’ll find is a highly unusual boy with a unique tale to tell. In this personally narrated account he discovers the depths of his abilities, makes new friends, goes for a long walk in the snow, meets a special pack of wolves known as Earthkeepers, uncovers a nasty scheme devised by his even nastier uncle, eats a stack of pancakes, and does all he can to save his beautiful home from the greedy men plotting to destroy it.

*If you’re someone who likes a wide assortment of animals, with funny names and contrasting views of the world, and you like Christmas decorations, happy endings, and you’re open to the possibility of liking boys named Ethan, there’s a good chance you might enjoy this story.

*If you’re someone who admires deceitful, scheming, selfish people who manipulate others, who dislike animals, kids, beautiful buildings, and beautiful scenery, you might enjoy a long career in politics, but will probably not like this story in the least.

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*If you’re someone searching for an epic, unrealistic romance between two people resembling Ken and Barbie, you are looking in the wrong place. You are now terribly lost. I’m shocked you’ve read this far. You should probably hit the back arrow now. There’s no telling what could happen if you don’t.

*If you’re someone shopping for affordable health insurance, you might try a different website.

Amazon

Author Shawn Underhill

The true story of Shawn Underhill may never be fully realized to the world at large. Theories and rumors abound, ranging from the fantastic to the absurd, but none can be entirely trusted.

Most scholars agree that he is certainly a devoted admirer of Jack London, while less credible claims suggest that he is loosely related to the novelist, merely adopting the false name Underhill as a means to anonymity. The most bizarre of all rumors state that Mr. Underhill actually is Jack London reincarnate, that in his spare time he pilots experimental aircraft on dangerous test missions, and is slated to appear on DWTS.

Attempts by this biographer to uncover solid evidence have proven frustrating at best, and dangerous at worst. Establishing contact with Mr. Underhill’s family in the slim hope of acquiring trustworthy information has been, for the most part, an exercise in futility.

The most viable explanation came by a series of mysterious phone calls leading to a secret meeting with an individual claiming to be Shawn’s second cousin. This unnamed source (who only spoke with me under cover of darkness behind a Dunkin Donuts off highway 93 in rural New Hampshire) states that the author was last known to be located within his secret writing cave–a high mountain fortress, heavily defended by steep ledges and rushing waterfalls. The grounds near the secret trail leading to the hidden entrance are said to be patrolled day and night by wolves, watchdogs and bears.

In an interesting side note, UFO’s and Bigfoot sightings have been reported in the general area of Mr. Underhill’s alleged stronghold, but none have been officially confirmed by any reputable organizations.

The author’s Facebook page, Shawn Underhill (Author) is the only known source of contact he has with the outside world.

Facebook * Twitter

Click on the cover to get your copy of Shawn Unhill’s The Earthkeeper now.