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#BookTour “Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia” by Julia Hengst
It’s such a pleasure to share this beautiful book with you all! Songs from Mermaidia by Julia Hengst, will delight kids and parents alike!
Read on for more info and a chance to win a fantastic giveaway – A copy of the book (digital or print) and a $25 Amazon e-gift card!
Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia
Publication Date: May 14th, 2021
Genre: Children/ Songs/ Poetry/ Puns
The magic universe of mermaids, full of laughter, song and delight: help your child discover self-confidence and find their inner flow by diving deep into the magical world of Mermaidia. Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia introduces the underwater world of Mermaidia. This humorous and whimsical collection of poems and songs reveals how baby mermaids are made, what mermaid families are like, and how mermaids study magic at School of the Fish to become Sea Witches (not Sand Witches). Created by family therapist Julia Hengst the Venus and Her Fly Trip series helps nurture the whole child, promoting self-esteem, confidence and social/emotional/mental health in a fun, playful way.
Add to Goodreads
About the Author
Julia Hengst is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an avid surfer, traveler and word nerd who resides in Maui. Passionate about psychology, spirituality and media literacy, she holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies from UC Berkeley, a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology, and an imaginary degree from the University of Puns. www.venusandherflytrip.net
Julia Hengst | Facebook | Instagram
Giveaway: Win a copy of the book (digital or print) and a $25 Amazon e-gift card! (Digital for International Winners/ Print for US)
Blog Tour Schedule
July 19th
Reads & Reels (Review) http://readsandreels.com
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
@mrs.a.reads (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mrs.a.reads/
Where Dragons Reside (Spotlight)
July 20th
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
@lianne_the_bibliophile (Review) https://www.instagram.com/lianne_the_bibliophile/
Nessa’s Lair (Review) https://nessaslair.com/
July 21st
I Smell Sheep (Spotlight) http://www.ismellsheep.com/
@princessreadsalot (Review) https://www.instagram.com/princessreadsalot/
@fatimaa.zainab_ (Review) https://www.instagram.com/fatimaa.zainab_/
July 22nd
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
@bookloverleah (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookloverleah/
Lunarian Press (Review) https://www.lunarianpress.com/
The Cozy Pages (Review) http://thecozypages.wordpress.com/
Stine Writing (Review) https://christinebialczak.com/
July 23rd
Sophril Reads (Spotlight) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com
Dash Fan Book Reviews (Review) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/
Kam’s Books (Review) https://www.superkambrook.com/
Blog Tour Organized By:
#ReleaseBlitz “Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia” by Julia Hengst
It’s such a pleasure to share this beautiful book with you all! Songs from Mermaidia by Julia Hengst, will delight kids and parents alike!
Read on for more info and a chance to win a fantastic giveaway – A copy of the book (digital or print) and a $25 Amazon e-gift card!
Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia
Publication Date: May 14th, 2021 (Today 🎉)
Genre: Children/ Songs/ Poetry/ Puns
The magic universe of mermaids, full of laughter, song and delight: help your child discover self-confidence and find their inner flow by diving deep into the magical world of Mermaidia. Venus Underwater: Songs from Mermaidia introduces the underwater world of Mermaidia. This humorous and whimsical collection of poems and songs reveals how baby mermaids are made, what mermaid families are like, and how mermaids study magic at School of the Fish to become Sea Witches (not Sand Witches). Created by family therapist Julia Hengst the Venus and Her Fly Trip series helps nurture the whole child, promoting self-esteem, confidence and social/emotional/mental health in a fun, playful way.
Add to Goodreads
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Julia Hengst is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an avid surfer, traveler and word nerd who resides in Maui. Passionate about psychology, spirituality and media literacy, she holds an undergraduate degree in Media Studies from UC Berkeley, a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology, and an imaginary degree from the University of Puns. www.venusandherflytrip.net
Julia Hengst | Facebook | Instagram
Giveaway: Click the link below to enter!
Book Release Blitz Organized By:
#AudioTour “The Storyteller’s Diary” by J. Edwards Holt
Author: J. Edwards Holt
Narrator: Dean Ruple
Length: 5 hours 11 minutes
Publisher: J. Edwards Holt
Released: July 2, 2020
Genre: Fantasy; Children’s
Whether you’re looking for mystery, adventure, light-hearted laughs, or even something on the scarier side, The Storyteller’s Diary has it all! Set in the fantasy world of J. Edwards Holt’s Little Men, Big Treasures trilogy, this collection of short stories includes over a dozen tales, featuring all kinds of fantastic mythical creatures like dragons, wizards, elves, and much, much more!
Born in North Carolina, United States, J. Edwards Holt always knew that he wanted to be a writer. After graduating high school, he attended college and pursued a degree in education, but later decided to change course and follow his dream to become a novelist and children’s author. Now a full-time writer, editor, and blogger, Holt spends his free time dreaming up stories and reading. He is passionate about spreading Christian messages through his writing, watching science fiction and super hero movies, and collecting comic books.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram
I’ve loved to read for as long as I can remember, but I have been in love with the audiobook form since I was 13 years old – I was grounded for the week, but found an old Walkman cassette player and passed the time with some great books. While I have been narrating professionally for less than a year, I already have a number of titles of various genres under my belt. In addition to my work on ACX, I also have experience doing sports announcing for local teams. As a teacher of English for 8 years, I read to and with my students almost every day from a variety of genres. I submitted my first audiobook, Reecah’s Flight by Richard H. Stephens, in February of 2020, the culmination of years of dreams and work, and have been going strong since!
Q&A with Author J. Edwards Holt
- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- It was a fairly easy process. Thanks to ACX, I was able to find Dean Ruple, who helped make the process easy, and in the end did a fantastic job narrating.
- Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- Definitely. Characters stories and the more interactive stories are much better to listen to in audio.
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- Absolutely. With Audible and all the audiobook platforms out these days, it’s definitely something on every author’s mind.
- How did you select your narrator?
- Well in this instance Dean actually approached me first, and I was very impressed with his audition so I chose him as the narrator.
- How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
- We kept in touch — and still do from time to time. Personally, I think we make a great team!
- Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- Yes, I do. Some of the characters’ names are difficult to pronounce, so I always send my narrators a list of pronunciations.
- Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Much of my writing is inspired by stories and verses from the Bible, as well as other books and movies.
- How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- It isn’t always easy. I would say that when it comes to writing, there are writing days and non-writing days. Some days I can just write away and other days I just know I’m not going to be able to get anything on the paper. So, my advice is this: if it isn’t working today, try it another day.
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I do listen to audiobooks from time to time. I love the way you can just sit back and listen to the book, letting your imagination kick in and create visuals for you.
- Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- Hard to say, but I think that Dean really brings the characters and stories to life!
- What’s next for you?
- I’m working on the first book of my next series.It’s a trilogy set in the same world as “The Storyteller’s Diary”.
Click here to view the full tour schedule!
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#ReleaseBlitz “I Love Me!” by LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss
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Picture Book
Date Published: 4/21/20
Publisher: Beaming Books
I love me from my mouth and chin
all the way down to my knees and shins.
This affirming picture book features a diversity of races and ethnicities, physical features, body types, abilities and disabilities. I Love Me teaches all kids they have many, many reasons to love themselves.
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About the Author
LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss found that motherhood immersed her in the fascinating world of picture books as she shared in her son’s love of story time. Experiencing picture books with varying styles, stories and approaches to themes inspired her to write stories of her own. With a vision to create stories that will entertain, enlighten and empower all children, she ultimately aspires to both author and illustrate her work.
LaRonda is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators as well as Storyteller Academy. Living in her home state of North Carolina with her husband and son, she participates in a local SCBWI critique group and a regional SCBWI illustrators network. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering.
Contact Links
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#5DayMiniBlogBlitz “Brittle’s Academy for The Magically Unstable: Charlie Makes a Discovery” by Lily Mae Walters
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It’s Charlie’s first day at high school, his blazer is too big and his shoes are too small, but that’s the least of his worries. He’s been missed off the class lists and is now enrolled in a new school called Brittle’s Academy with a magical and mysterious head teacher. But to stay at Brittle’s Charlie must pass one of the tests…otherwise he’ll be sent to Oblivion!
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About Lily Mae Walters
Lily Mae Walters chose her pen name in honour of her beloved grandparents who also stare in the Josie James series.
She is married with two teenage children, and two huskies that are the inspiration behind Murphy and Asher in the books.
Lily Mae lives in Nuneaton, England and finds herself using local places and even her old school in her stories.
Family and friends mean the world to Lily Mae and many will find themselves popping up throughout the series.
Lily Mae also writes for adults under the name of Florence Keeling.
Follow Lily Mae Walters
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#BookTour “A Call from Above” by Tom Aish
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Children’s, Christian, FictionDate Published: December 2, 2019
Publisher: Clay Bridges Press
Welcome to the first book in the “Pillow Stories from Heaven” series! “A Call from Above” is an imaginary story, a Jesus-style parable, about the life of Sonny, a baby eagle who grows up in a chicken coop. A lot has been cast in Sonny’s life, and now he has to figure out who he really is. Does God have a special purpose and plan for Sonny?
This story will entertain and teach parents and children as it draws them to reflect on the true meaning of life, our place in the world, and our destiny and calling.
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About the AuthorTom Aish grew up behind the Iron Curtain where he studied studio art (MFA) and first met the risen Messiah. His interests include cultural and film studies (MAICS). He lived and studied in Sweden and Israel, and most recently settled in Colorado Springs, where he lives with his wife, Aly. Tom’s many hobbies include learning, photography, film, and travel. He writes blog articles and children stories; in his free time, Tom enjoys nature—especially the mountains.
Contact Links
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#BookBlitz “Pepperoni Pizza Eating Chimps” by Tracey C. Ayres
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Children’s Book, Middle GradeDate Published: October 2019
A Mystery unfolds when pizza delivery boys along with their pizzas keep disappearing, mostly pepperoni pizzas.
Keah is puzzled by strange noises that happen around the apartment building where she lives.
With the help of her friends, Keah is determined to find out why these things are happening before her family get back from the cruise.
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Excerpt
Chapter 1
Bang, bang, bang!
The knock on the front door made Keah jolt awake. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she stretched and yawned.
“Who is it?” she shouted as she stretched again.
“Pizza!” The voice from the other side of the door shouted back.
“I didn’t order any pizza,” Keah replied.
Walking over to the front door, she picked up a small stool and placed it by the entrance before stepping on it. She pushed her eye up to the spy hole. Her dad had assumed that everyone was going to grow six-foot-tall when he had the spy hole fitted, but for Keah, who was struggling to reach five foot two, a stool was the only option.
Keah could see a mass of curly black hair with a red cap perched on top. A boy about her age, sixteen, moved away from the door and turned to face Keah’s front door. He stood awkwardly, holding a stack of pizza boxes.
“Someone at this address did, Miss. Someone has to pay for all these pizzas. My boss is gonna be livid if I take them back.”
“I didn’t order any pizzas. Go away. I’m calling the police.” Keah stepped away from the door.
That’s when she heard that noise. The sound that grated through every bone in her body. It was the noise that made her spine tingle like fingernails running down a blackboard. A thought rushed through her head: Is that two pieces of metal scraping together? She shuddered and took a deep breath.
Looking back through the spy hole, she watched the boy look around quickly, then turn and head back down the hallway, shaking his head. She heard him talking loudly and cursing to himself as he shoved the boxes back into the pizza warmers. His boss was going to be so annoyed. He had just walked past Mrs. Joy’s front door—Mrs. Joy was Keah’s neighbour—when he stopped and turned. Walking back to Mrs. Joy’s front door, the pizza delivery boy spoke to someone, but Keah couldn’t quite see who.
Keah thought she saw dark shadows enter the hallway and move around the pizza delivery boy. But she couldn’t quite see who it was before the hall light switched off. Keah desperately wanted to go out into the hallway and turn on the light just to see who the boy was speaking to, but instead, she stepped off the stool and slid down the door onto the floor.
Taking a deep breath, she crawled over to the coffee table, grabbed her iPhone and then edged her way back to the door. Even with her ear pressed against the door, she heard nothing but silence. Pressing her phone to wake, she opened her keypad. Slowly she pressed the button 000. She then placed her phone on the carpet next to her. What if Mrs. Joy had visitors, and they had ordered the pizzas? How stupid would I look? She thought to herself as she rested her head against the door and yawned. What a weird smell. I feel so tired. Keah thought before she finally closed her eyes.
Bang, bang, bang!
The vibrations from the banging on the door awoke her with a start. The light was now streaming in through the window, and the traffic sounded noisy. She felt the door vibrate against her back as the knock came again. Realizing she must have fallen asleep by the front door, Keah crawled into her bedroom, crouched at the side of her bed and listened. She heard people outside in the hallway. Someone banged on her neighbour’s door. Mrs. Joy is getting a lot of visitors lately, she thought.
She showered quickly and got ready for school. Slightly hesitant, she opened the front door and stepped out into the hallway. A tall policeman stepped in front of her.
“Oh,” she announced, quite startled. “What’s going on?”
“Morning, Miss. Do you live in this apartment?” The policeman had a broad Australian accent. Keah stepped back. She turned and glanced at the door before nodding dumbly.
“Why didn’t you answer your door when I knocked earlier?” The policeman leered at Keah, making her stomach turn.
“Got ID?” Keah said, avoiding eye contact.
The policeman fumbled inside his tunic and eventually pulled out a wallet and showed her his identification card. By now, he had been joined by another man. This one was not in uniform but in a dark grey suit.
“Morning, Miss. Got a name? I’m Detective Sergeant Paul Grimes.” He whipped out his ID before she could even think of asking.
“Keah. Keah Madelia.”
Keah had stepped back again and was now squished up tight against her own front door.
“Where are your parents, Keah? You don’t live here alone, do you? You off to school?” The DS bombarded her with questions, and all she could do was shake her head.
“Well?” DS Paul Grimes said.
The uniformed policeman started to look around the hallway as if he was losing interest in Keah.
“My-my parents are cruising around New Zealand, somewhere. I’m on my own till they get back. I am old enough. I’m sixteen—well, I’ll be sixteen in a few weeks!”
“Are you off to school?” DS Grimes asked again. “Which one?”
“Yeah. St. Luke’s, at the corner of Holden Street,” Keah replied. Looking up at the DS, she asked him what all the police were doing in her building.
“Don’t suppose you’d let my young officer here just poke his nose inside, would you? Only a pizza delivery boy went missing last night, and we believe this was his last delivery before he disappeared.”
Keah’s eyes widened, and her heart quickened. I saw him—I saw him talking to someone at Mrs. Joy’s front door. Keah wanted to scream at the detective, but instead she looked at her front door again then back at DS Grimes.
“I’m late for school, and I didn’t order any pizza, perhaps Mrs. Joy did,” she declared boldly, pushing her key in the lock and letting the door swing wide open. “Knock ya self out.”
Keah watched two policemen step out of Mr. & Mrs. Guey’s flat before she stepped back inside hers.
She saw the uniformed policeman pull a pair of white disposable gloves from his pocket and watched as he rummaged around in the kitchen bin. Satisfied nothing was exciting in the waste bin, the policeman walked into Keah’s room, emerging a few moments later. Glad I tidied up after showering this morning. That could have been embarrassing, Keah thought. DS Grimes emerged from her parent’s bedroom. Her sister’s door was wide open. Mia would not be happy if she found out they’d touched her doll collection, which sat the whole length of one wall.
“Did you hear anything last night, Keah? About 9 o’clock?” DS Grimes enquired softly.
Keah was already shaking her head from side to side and looking toward the window.
“No, nothing, sorry. I-I um, I fell asleep quite early last night.”
The DS reached into his inside pocket and pulled out what looked like a business card. He held it out to Keah.
“Well, if you do recall anything, please call me. No matter how silly or small you may think it is, I would still like to hear about it. Okay?”
DS Paul Grimes pushed the card into Keah’s hand and left. The other policeman quietly followed, not even looking at Keah as he walked past her. Keah studied the card. Her older sister was around his age and single.
And he is cute for a cop. Maybe a bit grumpy for Erin, Keah reasoned with herself.
She slipped the card into her school bag before throwing it over her shoulder. Slamming the door behind her, Keah rushed past the policemen in the hall and skipped down the stairs into the street. She didn’t look back or slow down until she’d reached her school three kilometers away.
Her best friend Abby was waiting for her at the gate as usual. A total contrast to Keah’s fair complexion and strawberry blonde hair, Abby had olive skin and dark hair that matched her equally dark eyes.
Keah turned and scoured the street before entering the school. She linked her arm through Abby’s as they walked the long driveway to the school building.
“Did you hear what happened last night?” Abby asked.
Keah shook her head from side to side as if she hadn’t heard and glanced at Abby.
“Another pizza boy disappeared. That’s four now,” Abby said, quite anxious.
“Oh yeah, that—apparently it happened in our building. The boy delivered pizza to someone in our building then vanished,” Keah tried to act nonchalant but didn’t dare look at Abby again, in case she saw the guilt in her eyes.
Keah knew she had been acting strange since her parents left for the cruise and that she should have gone to help that boy last night, but she hadn’t.
“Oh, Keah! Did you see him? Did you order pizza? No—you wouldn’t—I know that, but Keah, how dreadful,” Abby cried as she let go of Keah’s arm and swung around to face her. “Have you told the police? Are you alright?”
Keah nodded. She looked fine, but her stomach was knotted, and she felt shaky.
No one had been there when Keah was woken up at 2am by the dreadful screams. She felt as if she was going mad with the scratching from the inside of her wardrobe. It came from the ceiling, from under the floor. She felt tired but didn’t want to tell anyone in case they thought it was because she was on her own and couldn’t cope. Although she often spoke to her neighbours, neither had commented on the noises to Keah. The sounds started two days after her parents left with her six-year-old sister Mia. She now wished she had gone with them, but it was too late. At the time her exams were more important. Plus, the excitement of staying home all on her own for three weeks was more than she dared wish for.
Keah had planned get-togethers at her place and even a massive party. She had run the party idea through her mum because she knew someone would tell her parents. So, she told her it would be very low key and if her mum had wanted her oldest sister Erin, who lived way over at Happy Valley, to come and supervise, that was cool. At the time Keah had felt that she was old enough to cope with a few friends on her own. Now, she was not so sure.
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About the Author
Tracey C Ayres writes action-packed mysteries which are fun and exciting for young readers. Most of her books have heroines rather than hero’s, for no particular reason, and her characters are intrepid, quick-witted and smart, and sometimes they are even fearless. Because Tracey believes when we lose ourselves in a story, our imagination should hold no barriers.
Best known for her book Gularian Islands (the one with the blinking dragon eye on Youtube) which received an incredible five stars LitPik review.
Tracey was born in England where she grew up with two older sisters and three younger brothers. Studied childcare, social work and psychology and wrote for a local newspaper but now loves her current job the best and that is writing stories for young children.
Living in Australia with her husband, daughters, grandchildren and a menagerie of pets she loves to find a shady tree and lose herself in her adventures while writing.
Contact Links
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“Isadorn the Unicorn and the Sloppy Dragon” by Angela Castillo
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What’s a frustrated unicorn to do? Dunfer the Dragon has just moved into the cave next door, and Isadorn’s perfect world has been turned upside down.
Not only does he make growling noises all day and night, he’s just burned down her favorite rosebush! Can Isadorn figure out how to talk to Dunfer about her problems? Or will her magical unicorn world be ruined forever?
Includes tips to help children learn about healthy boundaries and conflict resolution, including “I” statements suggested by leading child therapists.
Perfect for ages 4-7, but older kids will still love the beautiful unicorn pictures!
#FREE at time of posting!
KINDLE UNLIMITED
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“The Ginormous Series” by S C Cunningham
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About The Ginormous Series
(Children 3-12 years of age)
Through The Ginormous Series children learn how to communicate their problems and work through their feelings. Loving, engaging adventures that follow pets discussing their ‘life handling’ problems and how they solve them together.
In ‘Ginormous Jo’s Silly Bullies’, ‘Ginormous Jo’s Welcoming Arms’, ‘Ginormous Jo’s You Are Special’, ‘Ginormous Joe’s Broken Bark’ and ‘Ginormous Joe’s Annoying Friend’ the animals chat about lots of ‘stuff’. Bullying, recycling, welcoming new members to a family or classroom, feeling alone, listening, learning and caring for others. A great addition to any child’s home or teacher’s read-aloud library. Encouraging thought-provoking conversation between adult and child.
Series Purchase Links
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About S C Cunningham
Owned by 3 dogs and a cat, Cunningham normally writes suspense thrillers. As respite from her crime novels, she creates children’s picture books, each with a theme to gently teach our precious young and help open up conversation. The Ginormous Series is based on Cunningham’s beloved family pets – Joe, Muttley, Dali (Jo), Tom and Vinnie.
She is an ex-model, British born of Irish roots that married a rock musician and has worked in the exciting worlds of music, film, sports celebrity management and as a Crime Investigator and Intelligence Analyst for the Police. She supports causes for: Veterans, MH, Child and Animal Protection.
Social Media Links
Website Twitter Ginormous Joe Twitter Ginormous Joe Facebook
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Nesie's Place 