Amanda's Books and More

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Cats Snuggling with #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #155!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

Our Cats, Prince and Sheela

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Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Beside Still Waters

Check out the nice selection of photos of our stay
at Beside Still Waters in Wilderness, South Africa!

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My Weekend Post:
Living in South Africa
My life as an American mom
living in South Africa.

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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+

Twitter

Facebook

and

I'm also now on Instagram!

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:

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Living in South Africa with Weekend Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #139!

My blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

As an American living in South Africa, I've had to adjust to a new lifestyle. In South Africa, most people don't have central heating or cooling in their homes. Usually laundry machines are only hooked up to cold water taps and laundry is hung outside to dry.

Having a gardener and a maid is common among middle and upper class families, since it's affordable and totally worth it. We have a guy who comes twice a month to work in the garden and a lady that comes once a week for half a day to clean the house. They are a great help!

Clean Washing on the Line

Electricity is a luxury and our power gets cut occasionally as the power company, Eskom, does not have enough to power the whole country. It's called, "load shedding." (I shared this information and the photo below on Wednesday.)

Amanda doing homework in the dark
due to "load shedding"

Amanda is learning to play field hockey and netball at school and has participated in mini matches against other schools.

Amanda's Mini Field Hockey Match

Amanda's Mini Netball Match

Living in a foreign country always has its ups and downs. When I began 1camera1mom, I fell in love again with the region we live in. There's so much beauty around me and interesting things to do. I miss family and I miss conveniences that I don't have here, but my kids are thriving and things are pretty good.

And so, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I just thought to throw that in, because last week's post, "My Favorite Color Is...," was about color and color idioms.

Let me know where you're from and leave me a link so that I can visit your latest blog post! Have a great weekend!

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My Latest Book Review:

The Contaminants
Book 1 in the New Dakota Series
Science Fiction for middle grade

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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

I'm also now on Instagram!

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:

Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Photos of this Past Week with #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #154!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

I thought it was so cute that our cat, Prince, was curled up with Amanda's baby blanket. His head and paws were wrapped around the mommy dog and puppy that are sewn on it.

In the photo above, Amanda is doing school work in the dark. It gets dark early, around 6 pm, because we're having winter right now. If you live in South Africa, like we do, then you have to contend with "load shedding." That's what happens when our country's electricity provider, Eskom, cuts the power from region to region, from time to time, because there just isn't enough electricity to power the whole country.

In the photo below, Amanda is drinking a cup of tea at her grandma's house (my South African mother-in-law). I thought the peachy-pink and yellow roses were stunning.

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Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Redberry Farm Family Fun

The kiddies train is going past the Redberry Farm
maze, which is the largest permanent hedge
maze in the Southern Hemisphere!

I posted a nice selection of photos of our family
at the Redberry Farm, so be sure to take a look!

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

My Latest Book Review:

The Contaminants
Book 1 in the New Dakota Series
Science Fiction for middle grade

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

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+

Twitter

Facebook

and

I'm also now on Instagram!

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:

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

Friday, August 7, 2015

My Favorite Color Is...

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #138!

My blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

My favorite color is blue.

I love all shades of blue.

Turquoise is awesome too.

It has blue in it!

Once a week, I give a listening lesson to a small class of adults at the YWAM English Language School. This week they have been learning about color idioms. I found a fun 6 video series from BBC on YouTube. Below is the video with the color blue idioms:

Previously, I've shared photos of blue flowers in my garden. If you missed those two posts, you can find them at Blue Flowers and More Blue Flowers.

Here is a peek at those posts:
Click on the images to view them larger.

Whether you write it as
"color" or "colour", what is
your favorite (favourite) color?
Leave me a comment with
a link to your blog and I'll
be sure to visit!

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

My Latest Book Review:

The Contaminants
Book 1 in the New Dakota Series
Science Fiction for middle grade

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

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

I'm also now on Instagram!

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:

Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

The Contaminants

Introducing Book 1 in

The New Dakota Series:

The Contaminants

About the Book

Amazon * Smashwords * Goodreads

Summary: When the American government's attempt to "purify" Earth causes a worldwide nuclear holocaust, teen friends Jessil and Soraj are among the few to escape the planet. Orbiting in a cruiser designed to help regenerate Earth's ecosystem, they assist Soraj's father, who leads the process to salvage a location for the cruiser's safe return. But when a mysterious distress signal arrives from Earth, Jessil is desperate to discover who sent it. She and Soraj join the reconnaissance team that descends to the planet, a world very different from the one they knew. In such a strange land, can their search-and-rescue effort succeed? And if it does, will it mean failure for Earth's recovery?

My Review

The Contaminants is the first book in an exciting new science-fiction series by Devin K. Smyth. The summary grabbed my attention as being something intriguingly different, and it is. The story moves swiftly from the very beginning. It's interesting reading as you switch from the perspective of the key female character, Jessil, to the key male character, Soraj.

This book is able to happily keep the attention of kids ages 12 and up, and adults too! There are some violent scenes and death in the story, so it might not be palatable for sensitive readers. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the New Dakota series!

More Buzz About the Book

"The Contaminants, a work of dystopian fantasy for teens from Devin K. Smyth (the pen name of Kevin Speth), serves as the first volume of his New Dakota series. Composed of two believable first-person narratives and based around two father-child relationships, this is a novel that prizes emotions as much as it does technology." ~ Rebecca, Foreward Reviews

"The Contaminants by Devin K. Smyth is a story of survival, friendship, loyalty, and hope set in the aftermath of planetary devastation. I loved this book... I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. This is a great start to what I hope will be a continuing series." ~ Ubiquitous Bubba, Amazon

"This story had me sucked in from the very beginning, and I had trouble putting it down. The science was thorough and awesome. The characters were portrayed at different ages and through different stages of their journey with skill and a perfect arc. " ~ Amie M., Amazon

"An exciting trek to a post-nuclear Earth! Tightly composed and never off tangent in its delivery, "The Contaminants" by Devin K. Smyth packs many punches" ~ Future Boy, Amazon

"There's enough drama and tension here to keep you riveted. Smyth's concept of a world intentionally destroyed in order to "improve" on it is fresh and provocative. The characters are well developed and engaging. I'm eager to read the next story in this chapter, and find out more about this new yet familiar world." ~ Nikki B., Amazon

About the Author:

Devin K. Smyth

Devin K. Smyth is the pen name of Kevin Speth, a part-time novelist and full-time marketing copywriter in the field of children’s entertainment. He resides in southern Wisconsin with his girlfriend and their herd of cats. The Contaminants is Devin K. Smyth’s first novel and is the first in the “New Dakota” series.

Firedrake Books | Goodreads

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

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Cats in the Sun with #WW #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #153!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

I hope all my friends above the Equator are having a great summer! We've been having a lot of wind and rain, so the winter sun is appreciated when it shines. In case you're new to this blog, I'm an American mom living in South Africa. Be sure to check out our Acrobranch Adventure to see my family of six!

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Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Acrobranch Adventure

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

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+

Twitter

Facebook

and

I'm also now on Instagram!

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.