Destiny and Faith Book Blast and $50 Giveaway!

I'm teaming up with Mother Daughter Book Reviews to bring you this exciting new Book Blast. Here is a story you won't want to miss! 

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating this Book Blast on behalf of author Jourden Cleghorn who writes under the pen name of Teddy O'Malley.

Jourden was recently involved in a serious automobile accident resulting in severe injuries just days after her new book, Destiny and Faith Go To Twincentric Academy, was published in May 2014. The indie author community has come together to support this young author/illustrator during this challenging time. Please read below to see what you can do to help in a small way.

About the Book

Title: Destiny and Faith Go To Twincentric Academy | Author: Teddy O'Malley | Publication Date: May 11, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 62 | Recommended Ages: 6 to 10


Summary: Destiny and Faith are going into second grade and their mom has a great idea. She's going to send them to a school for twins! They're not sure whether to be excited or terrified. Come join them and see what happens!

The Buzz

"Anyone who's tried to buy a book or birthday card for a child who isn't white will know how few are available. Golden hair and blue eyes rule. I was delighted by Destiny and Faith, who are mixed race/bi-racial, perfect for some children very close to me. However, let me quickly say that this is a story for all children. A school for twins is such a great idea and Destiny and Faith's adventures have a universal message about friendship and learning how to get along with each other. This would also be a good book for actual twins as some of the issues that arise in twin relationships come up in the story." ~ 5 Star Review, Mary Josephina Cade, Amazon

"I just finished reading this book. I got it for my daughter and decided to read it myself. It is so ORIGINAL and totally ADORABLE! A MUST READ for young children looking to read their FIRST CHAPTER BOOK! My daughter LOVES it!! I highly recommend this book!! " ~ 5 Star Review, radams, Amazon

"A great story for young girls, with lots of fun dialogue. Accompanied throughout by black and white drawings. These capture the body language and expressions of the different characters perfectly. Looking forward to more in the Destiny and Faith series." ~ 5 Star Review, M.J. Kinsman, Amazon

About the Author:

Teddy O'Malley

Jourden Cleghorn
Pen name: Teddy O'Malley

Jourden Cleghorn, who writes and illustrates children’s books under the pen name Teddy O' Malley, was born in Saint Louis, Missouri. She has traveled all over the United States and enjoys learning about new things and other cultures. She dreams of visiting a foreign country. She has enjoyed studying Spanish, German, and now Italian as well. Jourden paired her language skills with pictures of puppies to write Tell Me How You Say Good Night, a bedtime story. And a childhood friendship with a biracial girl named Hope influenced Jourden to make the Destiny and Faith characters biracial in her series about twins. Many of her books include a thread about friendship and acceptance of others. Jourden previously worked part time as a nurse assistant helping the disabled and elderly.

Author Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

How You Can Help

On Thursday, May 15, 2014, Jourden was the passenger in a small car when a much larger truck turned in front of them. She suffered severe injuries as a result of this accident including a cracked sternum, punctured lung, broken arm, and broken foot. Unfortunately, the nature and severity of Jourden's injuries have limited her ability to promote her books effectively. I was very moved when I was approached by a member of the Facebook group, "Fun-tastic Children’s Books " (of which Jourden is an active member) to help this young author. This wonderful group took it upon themselves to promote Jourden’s books on her behalf. They bought, reviewed, tweeted and shared her books throughout social media and are sponsoring (along with MDBR) the giveaway below.

If you should choose to enter the giveaway below (open worldwide), you will see an option to earn 10 extra entries in the giveaway by purchasing a copy of Teddy O'Malley's latest book, Destiny and Faith Go To Twincentric Academy from Amazon for only 99 cents. I hope you will consider helping out the author in this small way.

Of note, during her recovery, Jourden found the inspiration for another children’s book. It will be about a child recovering from a car crash and having to cope with learning to write with the opposite hand, and other hardships that must be overcome during the healing process. Jourden usually writes with her right hand, but plans to illustrate the book using her left. She wants to show that hardships can be overcome if one does not give up.

$50 Book Blast Giveaway

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: July 30, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by author PJ LaRue/Fun-tastic Children’s Books and Mother Daughter Book Reviews, and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A Birthday Party and More with #WW Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #97!

Jessica turned 16 at the beginning of June, but it was also the beginning of the kids' mid term exams, so she didn't have a party until the exams were over. The kids are now on a three week winter holiday.

Jessica decided to have a sleep-over party with just a few girlfriends. She chose winter as her theme and did all the decorating. Hubby and I added white roses and purple lavender from our garden.

Mary Denman asked me to share a close-up photo of my cut flowers. They featured in a previous post when Prince was sitting next to them on the counter. Since these flowers were browning, I didn't take a close-up. Sorry, Mary!

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Check out my latest review,

The Cat Who Lost His Meow,

and enter to win $50!

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My latest series on my travel blog,

1camera1mom, is of Cape Town and

today's post is on Fast Food.

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Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook 

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

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The Cat Who Lost His Meow and $50 Giveaway!

The Cat Who Lost His Meow 

Book Blast & $50 Giveaway!

The Cat Who Lost His Meow

About the Book

Title: The Cat Who Lost His Meow | Author: Angela Muse | Illustrator: Helen H. Wu | Publication Date: June 1, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3+


Summary: Chester the lazy calico cat has suddenly lost his meow. He’s looking everywhere, but can’t seem to find his voice. When Chester puts himself in a frightening situation he not only finds his voice return, but he also finds his courage. This experience makes Chester appreciate things a little bit more than he had before.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading The Cat Who Lost His Meow to Amanda. The story/rhyme and the illustrations are adorable. We have two cats and Chester was illustrated in very cat-like poses. Amanda liked the pictures very much. When Chester finds his voice, she suggested to me that he just needed excercise. It showed me that she was following the story easily and had come up with a good conclusion. I would recommend this book to children ages 3 to 6.

About the Author:

Angela Muse

Angela Muse

Angela Muse was born in California to a military family. This meant that she got used to being the "new kid" in school every couple of years. It was hard trying to make new friends, but Angela discovered she had a knack for writing. In high school Angela began writing poetry and song lyrics. Expressing herself through writing seemed very natural. After becoming a Mom in 2003, Angela continued her storytelling to her own children. In 2009 she wrote and published her first rhyming children's book aimed at toddlers. Since then she has released several more children's picture books and released her first young adult romance series, The Alpha Girls, in 2012.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

$50 Book Blast Giveaway

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: July 29, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Angela Muse and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book for my honest review.

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Family and My Home with #Weekend #Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #88!

It's my grandmother's birthday today!

We got to celebrate it with her last year.

She lives in the States and we live in

South Africa.

The Inside of My Home

If our house sells, then we will be

moving to the States and closer to

relatives on my side. However, they

are spread across the States and the

globe, so I probably won't see them

often, but maybe more often than now.

Amanda asked me a few days ago what

a cousin is. I feel so sorry for her, or

maybe for myself, because I grew

up with cousins and know what she

is missing even if she doesn't.

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Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook 

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaX10yWr7xxEQ5BBMhOqdZxobJ0omJBq-v8ENFn3YNNebsnsYBHwcGyje-XzSlHSJOIlZ1rEOp89LyNI97XrPFZtdeH_AvaNV3F8hOvHfsuwe29ALNQw75ibK34buYq7nhpGGZJ8UTnoB/s150/Make+My+Saturday+Sweet.jpg"/></a></center>

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Amanda with Cats and #WW Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #96!

Amanda Playing with

Prince and Sheela

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I have a delicious recipe to share with

you on GG's Chicken Soup Recipe.

Come check it out!

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Here's Part 3 of the

Botanical Gardens near us.

Visit 1camera1mom for more!

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Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook 

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

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School isn't Everything and Weekend Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #87!

School Isn't Everything

My three teenagers, Jeremiah (age 17), Jessica (age 16) and Samantha (age 13) all do well at school. They are also strong readers.

We usually don't have to push the two oldest kids to focus on school, especially not Jessica. In fact, when she was in grade 6, I told her teacher that I thought she was working too hard and sometimes my husband and I were having to tell her to go to bed and leave the homework or project unfinished. I don't think the teacher was impressed with my stance. But Jessica wasn't only spending her days at school and at home doing homework. She was also spending hours of training in rhythmic gymnastics. She made it to the South African finals twice. In grade 8, she switched to contemporary dance.

Jessica 2012

Jeremiah used to do a variety of sports and school wasn't his main focus. As long as he got decent grades and lived a balanced life, we were happy. He's been having grade A shoulder pain for about a year-and-a-half now and so the sports have fallen away. He's had X-rays and an MRI, but it was advised that operating might cause more trouble. Now he puts a lot of focus on his school work and his grades have improved considerably.

Jeremiah and Amanda 2011

Samantha is smart, but school work does not drive her like it does her big sister. She loves having fun. Sometimes she needs encouragement from us to buckle down. Her form of sport has been ballet. She's been doing it on-and-off for a few years. Jessica began last year taking ballet with her sister to increase her dance skills. It's been a good bonding point for them.

Jessica - Rhythmic Gymnastics
and Samantha - Ballet 2008

Amanda has the nicest life out of all of them. She is still in Kindergarten (we're in the middle of the school year here) and so there isn't copious amounts of homework for her. She is also taking tennis and introductory gymnastics. Sometimes we organize a play date at our house with one of her friends.

Amanda - Tennis 2014

Besides school and sports, the kids need to have fun and to socialize. It's all about leading a balanced life. With school demanding so much from kids, it's sometimes hard to find that balance. Sure, there will be days when the amount of school work far outweighs any other activity, but that must not be the norm. You see, school isn't everything.

Amanda's Art - Girl Playing Golf 2014

*********************

Check out my latest book review and kid's activity

on How Andrew Got His Spots and enter to win $25!

*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook 

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaX10yWr7xxEQ5BBMhOqdZxobJ0omJBq-v8ENFn3YNNebsnsYBHwcGyje-XzSlHSJOIlZ1rEOp89LyNI97XrPFZtdeH_AvaNV3F8hOvHfsuwe29ALNQw75ibK34buYq7nhpGGZJ8UTnoB/s150/Make+My+Saturday+Sweet.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a blog hop!

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How Andrew Got His Spots with $25 #Giveaway!

How Andrew Got His Spots -

Blog Tour and $25 Giveaway!

How Andrew Got His Spots - Blog Tour

Title: How Andrew Got His Spots | Author: Louise Lintvelt | Illustrator: Julie Sneeden | Publication Date: April 16, 2014 | Publisher: eBookPartnership.com | Number of pages: 15 | Recommended age: 3 to 8

Summary:

Poor Andrew is feeling very blue, all the other giraffes are very spotty but he is as white as can be. He does not have any spots, you see! He keeps seeing spots wherever he goes…

One spot,
two spots,
three spots,
Four!
And many, many, many more.

“Where did you get your spots?” he asks. Join Andrew as he discovers how the ladybug, the leopard and the owl came to have spots and discovers that spots often appear when you are least expecting them!

This is a wonderful rhyming picture book for children of all ages.

Narrated Video:
How Andrew Got His Spots

My Review

How Andrew Got His Spots is a fun rhyming book for children ages 2 to 6. Andrew is a young giraffe who doesn't have any spots. He goes on a quest to find out how the other animals got theirs. His search brings him to a number of spotted animals that live in Africa. Andrew doesn't feel like he fits in, because he doesn't have any spots. Children can identify with Andrew, because there might be times when they also feel like they don't fit in. After parents and teachers have read this story aloud, they could ask their little listeners if they ever feel this way and how do they cope when they do.

My only complaint about the book is that the rhyming meter changes often. This does not help with the flow of the rhyme.

The author, Louise Lintvelt, suggested a couple of different activities that those of us on the blog tour could do. Amanda and I chose the paper plate giraffe activity. It's a fun and easy project that you can do with your kids.

How to Make a

Paper Plate Giraffe

What you will need:
Paper plate
Yellow paint
Yellow card board paper
Cream colored card board paper
Brown Marker/Crayon
Brown Pipe Cleaners
Glue
Scissors

(I forgot the scissors
when I took the picture.)

We used items that we had at home. We didn't have any cool wiggly eyes, so I let Amanda choose if she wanted to go with buttons or draw her own. She chose to draw her own. I think it's important to improvise, if you don't want to run to the store. It took us about half and hour to make this cute giraffe head.

It's not often that I get to do a review for a South African author, but it's really neat when I do, because we live in South Africa. You can read more about her below.

Purchase:

Amazon

About the Author:
Louise Lintvelt

Louise Lintvelt

I am from South Africa and I live in a city called Pretoria. I am a Chemical Engineer by day and a children’s book writer by night. I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful two year old daughter called Allegra. I love writing stories for my daughter, who is a constant inspiration.

I have always loved reading. My childhood was filled with books and you would often find me crouched in the corner of my room devouring the pages of my favourite book. I lived for Tuesday mornings as this would bring with it the excitement of a trip to the local library for story hour and the opportunity to take home a new book. I was the local librarian’s worst nightmare. I would arrive a few minutes early to check that she had not mistakenly chosen a book that had already been read in story hour.

I was a very bossy three year old with an insatiable appetite for books! This has not really changed much in the last twenty seven years. Dr. Seuss was my absolute favourite and to say that my copy of One, Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish was well read would be an understatement.

When it comes to writing, my daughter is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing her face light up with excitement when we sit down to read a book before bedtime. My daughter was fascinated by giraffes after we went on a safari trip in late 2012. This planted the seed for my picture book called How Andrew Got His Spots, which is a rhyming adaptation of a story I originally wrote in the third grade. My daughter has since grown into a healthy two year old with a passion for aircraft, which was the inspiration for writing Goodnight, Sleep tight, What a Wonderful Flight.

I am sure that there are many parents in the world (myself included), who are quite decidedly sick and tired of reading the same favourite picture book night after night. I believe that the words of Oscar Wilde best describe how children should feel about picture books when he said, If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.

Happy Reading!

Newsletter Sign-Up | Goodreads | Author Blog | Google+

How Andrew Got His Spots Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

June 17

Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch)

Book Reviews and Giveaways (Review)

Cherry Mischievous (Review)

June 18

Mommynificent (Review)

Misadventures of a First Time Mom (Review)

June 19

Amanda's Books and More (Review)

June 20

SOS Supply (Review)

We are the DinoFamily (Review)

The Reading Room (Review)

June 21

Lobo's Follies (Review)

Victoria Simcox's Blog (Book Spotlight)

June 22

Adalinc to Life (Review)

When I Grow Up I Wanna Write a Kids Book (Review)

June 23

Where Connor and JT Go (Review)

Enter Here Canada (Review)

June 24

Three Boy Circus (Review)

Spark and Pook (Review)

Stitch Says (Review)

June 25

A Leisure Moment (Review)

Sweet Southern Home (Review)

June 26

Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)

Sunshine, Bubbles & Books (Review)

June 27

My Brother is My Best Friend (Review)

Brooke Blogs (Review)

June 28

Books Direct (Review)

Mixed Bag Mama (Review)

June 29

Christy's Cozy Corners (Review)

Nanna Three and Counting (Review)

June 30

Library of the Seen (Review)

My Devotional Thoughts (Review)

* Blog Tour Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: July 15, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Louise Lintvelt and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read More