Amanda's Books and More

Monday, December 16, 2013

Lobo's Howliday (Christmas story) and $100 Giveaway!

Welcome to the Lovable Lobo book blast and

$100 iTunes gift card (or PayPal cash)

+ a Wolf stuffie giveaway!

About the Book ~ New Release

Lobo's Howliday
(The Adventures of Lovable Lobo)

Author: C.L. Murphy

Publication Date: Dec. 1, 2013

Publisher: Independent - Peanut Butter Prose

Number of pages: 32

Recommended age: 3+

Summary
It's almost Christmas and Santa finds himself in quite the predicament due to unintended consequences as a result of trying something new. Lobo, and his raven sidekick, Roxy, travel to the North Pole to help the jolly ole' one and are guided by the Arctic animals. The colors of the season delight along the way and make for a howling good holiday. Can you howl Ho Ho Ho?

Book Trailer

The Early Buzz

"The Adventures of Lovable Lobo: Lobo's Howliday is a children's book written by C.L. Murphy. Lobo and his friend Roxy, the raven, are surprised when an owl comes to see Lobo with a special delivery. Within the bag is Arty, an Arctic mouse who has an urgent request from Santa. Santa needs Lobo's help this year, and the three of them set off for the North Pole. Along the way, they meet an Arctic fox, who lets them stay the night in his den and a polar bear who transports them across icy water. An Arctic wolf accompanies them for the rest of the journey to Santa's Village, where an Arctic hare is waiting for them. Santa has updated his method of delivering gifts on Christmas, but he's got a problem that Lobo can help him with.

"I was spellbound reading The Adventures of Lovable Lobo: Lobo's Howliday. C.L. Murphy's artwork is simply amazing. Each page is filled with images you can get lost in: lush green forests, sparkling night skies, snowy expanses, and the animals have personality and incredible appeal. If you're lacking in Christmas spirit this year, no matter what your age, spending some time with Lobo, Roxy, and Arty will soon change your attitude. Lobo's Howliday is also a great way to introduce a child to the Northern Lights, the Arctic, and the amazing animals that live there (see if you can find the Orca!). I've already recommended The Adventures of Lovable Lobo: Lobo's Howliday to friends who have children or grandchildren. It's a very special book. " ~ 5 Star Review, Jack Magnus, Readers Favorite

Purchase

Available for 99 cents!

iTunes

Lobo's Howliday will be available as a

FREE download

on December 18th only!

iTunes

My Review

I put Amanda on my lap and read to her the story of The Adventures of Lovable Lobo: Lobo's Howliday. She loved the story and told me that every part was her favorite. What she liked most about the illustrations were the stars and Christmas trees.

I also enjoyed the illustrations. They were bright and colorful and the characters were adorable. I thought the polar bear was the cutest of all.

The story was also lots of fun to read. It had its own unique take on the traditional concept of Santa getting his presents to the kids in time for Christmas. Santa's helpers are woodland and arctic creatures. Lobo, the main character, is an adorable wolf pup. The cawing raven, his companion, is very entertaining. You will have to read the story to meet all the wonderful animals and to find out what the trouble is and how they are able to help Santa.

About the Author:

C.L. Murphy

C.L. Murphy and Lovable Lobo

While new to the children's book writing and illustrating scene, C.L. has been doodling her way through life since she won a school wide poster contest in the third grade. She's had the pleasure of working as an artist in residence, creating cartoons and painting murals with the children at local elementary schools. She adores the wonder and curiosity of young children. For years, she filed picture book ideas away, until the reality of the empty nest syndrome sunk in and she decided to bring her favorite one to fruition.

She based the character, Lovable Lobo, on something very dear to her heart, a real wolf that she's raised for the last 13 years. She's felt the need to protect him his entire life, primarily due to the preconceived notions that wolves are to be feared.

She lives amongst the wildlife in an enchanted forest in the beautiful Oregon wilderness. She has always appreciated nature and animals have always played a major role in her life. She was that little girl who brought home the strays asking "Can we please keep it?" At an early age she realized her connection with animals by training a wild bluejay to appear on command to take food from her hand.

Check out her book series and discover that you, too, will find Lobo lovable.

Book Website | Author Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

$100 Book Blast Giveaway

Prize: $100 iTunes gift card (or PayPal cash prize) + a Wolf stuffie

Contest runs: December 16, 2013 to January 14, 2014, 11:59 pm, 2013

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, C.L. Murphy 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 was given a free pdf copy of this book and asked to give an honest review. All opinions are our own (mine and Amanda's) and you can find them under My Review.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Make My Saturday Sweet - Blog Hop #62

Welcome to another weekend of family friendly blog hopping! You may link your favorite family friendly post from this past week below. Make sure you visit two people who linked before you and make their "Saturday Sweet"!

I will not be posting my Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop or my Picture Perfect Party Linky hop during the week of Christmas from the 20th to the 27th of December.

I will be posting two more book reviews - one is a fun Christmas story for kids (new release) with a $100 giveaway and the other is an awesome trilogy for older kids with a $25 giveaway - so please come back to check them out!

Today is your last day to enter my Christmas giveaway of a beautifully illustrated book of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

There's a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash giveaway on my Tumbleweed Christmas post. The contest runs until January 9, 2014.

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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 your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your linked post or on your side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit at least the last two blogs before your link and leave a comment.
Follow any new blogs that you like.

Blog Button Code:

This is a blog hop!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Tumbleweed Christmas Story and Giveaway

Welcome to the Tumbleweed Christmas book blast

and $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash giveaway!

About the Book

Tumbleweed Christmas

Author: Beverly Stowe McClure

Publication Date: July 20, 2013 (original pub. date - August 28, 2011)

Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC

Number of pages: 24

Recommended age: 3+

Summary (Back Cover): Christmas is the time for miracles, but sometimes a child must make her own miracle and one for her siblings.

Purchase

Amazon | 4RV Publishing Bookstore | Barnes and Noble

The Buzz

"Through the storytelling of Beverly Stowe McClure and the book illustrations of Bridget McKenna, the reader is drawn to feel the pain of poverty and choices that must be made due to economic circumstance. We are drawn into Jackie's world by her giving spirit and root for her every word of the way. And when all is said and done ... We, too, believe in the miracle of a Tumbleweed Christmas. Timely for the season and its reason, but also gives us reason to keep the Spirit of Christmas alive year 'round." ~ 5 Star Review, Ruth C., Amazon

"I can't think of a sweeter tale of the season than Tumbleweed Christmas." ~ 5 Star Review, Cheryl M., Amazon

"This is a delightful 24 page book which shows the reader about selflessness. Many parent's give up much to make things work when they don't have a lot of money, and being creative is certainly a key in such situations. Jackie gave up what was dear to her the most to be able to give gifts to her family so they had something to open on Christmas day. In many ways, gift giving has gone out of control. The most expensive items are not necessarily the best. Sometimes it's the handmade items or drawings that come from the heart that are truly memorable. A gift from the heart is what truly matters most, and it doesn't have to be much. Children and parent's alike will enjoy this story because it touches upon one of the best gifts in the world that we can give--LOVE!" ~ 5 Star Review, Children's Book Reviewer, Amazon

My Review

This is a meaningful Christmas story that is perfect for little ones and older. It teaches about sacrifice and generosity during a difficult time without the doom and gloom. In fact, it's a very cheerful story despite the hardships that are mentioned or otherwise alluded to.

I put Amanda, my 5 year-old, on my lap and read her the story. Every part of the story, including the colorful illustrations, was her favorite. It helps if the listener knows basic addition and subtraction, which Amanda can already grasp. The choice of words and the length of sentences are perfect for kids learning to read. This book will make a great Christmas gift for young children around the ages of 4 - 8.

Our Christmas in 2008

We live in the southern hemisphere in the Western Cape, South Africa. We almost always spend Christmas with my in-laws, which usually have an African twist, something non-traditional. A couple of times my mother-in-law put up a tumbleweed Christmas tree. Here's a photo of the kids in front of the one in 2008. It's the same color as the one illustrated on the book cover. This was Amanda's first Christmas. She was 10 months old.

Click on the image to view it larger

A tumbleweed Christmas, 2008
Siblings: Jeremiah, Amanda, Samantha and Jessica

About the Author:

Beverly Stowe McClure

Beverly Stowe McClure

Beverly Stowe McClure is a former teacher turned writer. When she was a kid, writing was the last thing on her mind. She loved music and played clarinet in the junior high and high school bands. She also was a majorette. She still plays the piano to relax. Her cats don’t appreciate good music, however, and run and hide when she tickles the ivories.

She lives in the country with Patches and Tiger (the cats), along with a variety of wild critters that stop by for a handout. Next to her sons, grandchildren, and great-grands, writing is her passion and joy. She also enjoys researching her family roots and snapping pictures of clouds, flowers, deer and birds, especially the roadrunner that visits on occasion and the hummingbirds that she feeds.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

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

Contest runs: December 11, 2013 to January 9, 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, Beverly Stowe McClure 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 was given this book free-of-charge by the author in exchange for our honest opinion. All opinions expressed are our own. The author contacted us to participate in our Book Promotion Program where we will tweet and share information about this book, the author, and the giveaway.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Picture Perfect Party Linky #69

It's time for another Wordless Wednesday (with or without words) link party! Check out my pictures and link your picture post below.

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Christmas watercolor fun for kids

I got my watercolor paper and watercolor paints out for Amanda to use. I'm usually very protective of my things and save stuff that eventually perishes, especially when it comes to good quality posessions like my art supplies. My paints and paper are from my teenage years living in Germany.

As you know, little kids use up stuff really fast, so it doesn't always make sense to give them something like real watercolor paper. Scrap paper is the norm around here. However, what's the use of having nice stuff when no one uses it or keeping it "safe" for so long that it perishes and becomes useless?

I don't think Amanda would have had nearly as much fun with crayons and paper. And yes, she does use up the good quality paper really fast, but the experience is worth it. She's also gaining knowledge about how to work with watercolor.

Here's a break down of what we used:

Watercolor paints

Watercolor paint-brushes

Watercolor paper
A pencil

Wrapping paper to copy from

Art masking fluid to make dots for snow-flakes

Permanent markers to outline the pictures

Stencils for the candle shapes

This is what we did:

I used the wrapping paper to give me something to copy from. I don't draw anything well from my head. I used permanent marker for my snowmen as I didn't want the marker to run when it got wet from the paint.

We applied lots of large dots with masking fluid that we later rubbed off after all the painting was done. The masking fluid puts a protective barrier on the paper that the water color cannot penetrate, leaving the paper white in those places.

Amanda did most of the stenciling of the candles with a pencil. I drew over them with permanent marker. She had the challenge of painting the background around the candles, so I helped her. I could have used the masking fluid to protect the candles until it was time to paint them.

She painted in the snowmen, but she wanted it to be a shared project, so I painted with her.

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I took Christmas themed photos

of our sleeping cats.

Sheela sleeping among the Christmas bears

Sheela sleeping with her head hanging over the back of the couch

Sheela and Prince

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I have an awesome Christmas giveaway that's open world wide. One lucky winner will receive a beautifully illustrated children's edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Since I will be posting it from South Africa, it will probably arrive after Christmas.

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Take a look at my Bergsig Wine Estate - Part 1 post.

I've got lots of new photos to share with you.

The American and South African flags
flanking the Bergsig Estate flag

Here are the easy rules:

Follow me. Please leave a comment so that I can follow back (as long as your blog is family friendly).
Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
Grab the button below and add it on your post or side-bar.
Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Blog Hop and Kid Lit Giveaway Hop

It's time for another weekend blog hop! This is my Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop and anything family friendly is welcome. Today is our 61st week. The rules are easy and you can find them below along with the hop.

I'm also taking part in the

Kid Lit Giveaway Hop

Holiday Extravaganza.

Our lovely hostesses are

Katie @ Youth Literature Reviews and

Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

My Giveaway

One of the ways that I could participate in the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop was to give away a Christmas themed book. I jumped at the idea as I have an extra paperback copy of one of my favorite Christmas time stories, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I'll be mailing this brand-new book to one lucky winner. It's about the same size as an A4 page, about 11"x9" (29cmx23cm) and is beautifully illustrated by Christian Birmingham. This raffle is open World Wide. Just follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter below to earn entries for the draw.

My Review

I did an interactive review of the book with Amanda almost a year ago. I wanted her to experience the story. She owns the same book, only hers is in hardcover. You can check out this fun book review here.

Amanda is having a cup of tea with
Mr. Tumnus and Lucy.

Father Christmas meets the children and gives them gifts.
Amanda is holding a picture of the same scene from the movie.

Win a copy of The Lion,

The Witch and The Wardrobe

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another Book Giveaway

A bloggy mom and friend of mine is hosting a giveaway of her young adult fiction novel, A Tale in Two Parts. You can visit her blog, Typative Mama Cat to enter the giveaway and you can visit my book review and author interview to find out more about the book and the mom who wrote it.

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I'm also participating in

Finish the Sentence Friday.

The sentence to finish this week is:

One of my favorite childhood memories is…

eating spaghetti ice cream in Germany at the ice cream parlor (Eisdiele). Delicious vanilla ice cream is squeezed through a "potato ricer" type Spätzle maker to look like spaghetti. Strawberry sauce is poured over it to look like tomato sauce. Shavings of vanilla chocolate are sprinkled on top to look like Parmesan cheese. Hidden underneath this tower of heaven is a dollop of fresh whipping cream.

The best ice cream I've ever eaten was in Italy and Germany. Here's a fun cultural article about ice cream in Germany.

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And, I'm participating in

Friendship Friday.

The theme for this month is

"A Season to Celebrate."

Everyone who participates has been asked to link something with a Christmas theme. My book giveaway has a fabulous Christmas theme in the story. Make sure you enter to win a copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!

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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

Leave me a comment with your link and I will follow back!

Here are the easy rules:

Follow Tina (your host) @ Amanda's Books and More.
Link up your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your most recent post or on your side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit at least the last two blogs before your link and leave a comment.
Follow any new blogs that you like.

Blog Button Code:

This is a blog hop!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

A Tale in Two Parts: Book Review and Author Interview

A Tale in Two Parts

Book Review

A couple of months ago I entered a book giveaway and won a copy of Heidi Lyn Burke's fantasy novel, The Ordinary Knight and the Invisible Princess: A Tale in Two Parts. I was very excited when I received it here in South Africa all the way from the States!

A Tale in Two Parts is a fabulous young adult novel for the young and old. I had a blast reading it and I'm nearly 40. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, plenty of adventure, memorable characters and a good dose of romance.

Heidi bravely takes on the fantasy world by including the parts that we have seen on many occasions in the books we have read as kids and the ones we are now reading to our kids, but she puts it into a new perspective with a twist. For example, there are plenty of fairies and knights, but they are not your typical ones.

It really is a story in two parts, just as the title implies. Both stories, The Ordinary Knight and the Invisible Princess, are able to stand alone, but some characters from the first story reappear in the second one.

This book will make a great gift for yourself or someone else this Christmas. There's nothing nicer than curling up and reading a good book during this holiday season.

Purchase on Amazon:

Paperback

Author Interview:

Heidi Lyn Burke

1. How old were you when you first knew you wanted to write stories to be published?

It is hard to say really. I remember writing since before I could technically "write." I would dictate stories about rabbits and cats for my mother to write under my drawings. I think it was middle school when I got it into my head that this was a potential career. Back then I did a lot of writing with specific friends in mind. I would write short humorous stories for specific friends and pop my best friend and myself into our favorite worlds via fan-fiction. To me, being "read" has always been an important part of writing. Making a financial profit has always been sort of a side benefit rather than an actual goal.

2. How many years did it take before this dream became a reality?

Other than winning a few contests growing up, my experience for the first 27 or so years of my life was just rejection letters. A lot of this was merited. I started submitting manuscripts to publishers very young, and my craft was still immature and unfocused. After I got married, I stopped even trying. I was happy to just put everything on hold. Then out of the blue a friend read a novel I had posted for free on one of my blogs, just because I could, and asked me why I hadn't considered publishing it. On a whim I looked into self-publishing, and it became a conveyor belt pulled me along. Probably a little too fast in retrospect.

3. How difficult is it to write while being a mother to two young girls?

Writing while being a mother of small kids is like doing any other task while the little munchkin monsters are around. Be it cleaning or cooking or sitting in front of a laptop typing about fairies, if you are focused on something other than them, chances are they are into something. This is why I tend to do most of my writing after 8pm or during my toddler's nap time. I'll also take a notepad with me if I am taking them to the park or watching them in the yard so I can get as much work done as possible. And I forgo a lot of sleep. I've been up until 1 am for the last three or four nights because I'm doing the National Writing Month challenge and I'm at the part where my current story is getting interesting.

4. Who or what inspired your stories, A Tale in Two Parts?

The first half of "Tale in Two Parts" was actually written while I was still single, over seven years ago now (I sat on it for a long time before finally taking the self-publishing plunge) and honestly, the concept was a very personal one. I was trying to imagine the love story that I wanted. I knew I wanted a sensible, caring man who would be a protector and a best friend. I had a little bit of a template in my high school crush, a boy who I had never been able to get over no matter how many times people told me he obviously wasn't interested. A few months after I had typed "the end" onto the "Ordinary Knight" part of the story, that very boy, now a full grown man and a US Marine, came home on leave and suddenly wanted to be more than just friends. Apparently, I have the gift of prophecy, because he slipped so naturally into the story I had written for us that it felt like we had always been together. We have been married for almost seven years now, and I'm still head-over-heels with him.

"The Invisible Princess" started out with me playing with the concept of how invisibility would alter the course of someone's life and influence their personality and choices. It eventually grew into a story about "inner beauty." However, the motivation behind writing it was always pure fun.

5. What do you hope your readers will gain from your stories?

I think there are a lot of misguided, incomplete, and just plain wrong versions of what love is like and what constitutes a "prince charming." I hope that people who read my story would take away that true love is sacrificial rather than selfish and that the most charming prince has nothing over a reliable and honorable friend. That you want to be loved for who you are, not for what someone thinks they can get out of you. No, romantic love isn't everything and a life can have purpose without it, but marrying my "prince charming" filled a gap in my heart and life. I am forever thanking God that I ended up with my husband, and I want to lay a foundation for my daughters where they will hold out for a truly good man instead of a "flashy" one.

Author Website

Disclaimer: I did not receive anything, nor was I asked to do this book review. The book was won in a giveaway. I did the review purely for the pleasure of it. My opinions are my own.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Picture Perfect Party Linky #68

It's time for another Wordless Wednesday (with or without words)!

Check out my photos and link your photo post on the linky below.

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Here's a peek at my latest

series on 1camera1mom.

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I am selling a variety of 6 disposable Christmas placemats.

Images of my mixed media are printed on A4 poster board.

A variety of 6 disposable placemats costs $14

with standard shipping and handling
(overseas shipping included)

and $22 if you buy two packs of 6.

I will take orders until Dec. 4.

To order:

Contact me via email at

morleychristina@gmail.com

Here is an example of the 6 placemats at the Christmas table.

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Don't forget to grab a free copy of the Nurturing Joy eBook. I was one of the moms who contributed answers on how I nurture joy in my life and receive it from my family. You can visit my recent post to find out more!

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Now on to my blog hop...

Here's your chance to link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Come 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

Here are the easy rules:

Follow me. Please leave a comment so that I can follow back (as long as your blog is family friendly).
Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
Grab the button below and add it on your post or side-bar.
Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.