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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Spotlight and Giveaway: M.A.R.R.I.E.D. (a S.I.N.G.L.E. Novella) by Lindsay Marie Miller


M.A.R.R.I.E.D.
(A S.I.N.G.L.E. Novella)
Series: Jessie & Graham
by Lindsay Marie Miller
December 20, 2016
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
In rainy Seattle, Washington, Graham Kelly has won the heart of independent minded Jessica Jacobs. Wedding bells are near, yet nothing will stop Jessie’s overbearing mother from throwing a wrench into the plans.

When an unexpected situation expands the swelling tension between the two, matters arise uncertain. Graham loves Jessie. But will his endless affection and warm heart be enough to keep her? This trip down the aisle is going to be a bumpy one.

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LINDSAY MARIE MILLER graduated from Florida State University Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. An incurable romantic at heart, she enjoys writing about strong heroines and the honorable gentlemen who claim their hearts. The author resides in her hometown of Tallahassee, FL, where she is currently working on her next novel.





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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Bookish Gifts for the Holidays


Looking for a great book to gift this holiday season?! Here are some awesome ideas...

PICTURE BOOKS

Stunningly illustrated, THE LOST GIFT (Schwartz & Wade | October 18, 2016 | Ages 4–8 years | $17.99) introduces Bird, Rabbit, Deer, and Squirrel, all of whom are eagerly waiting for Santa to fly overhead. But when he finally does, a gift falls from his sleigh, leaving it up to the four friends to deliver it for him. Sweet, poignant, and starring a cast of truly adorable characters, this is a story sure to be shared year after year.






THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (Doubleday Books for Young Readers | October 18, 2016 | Ages 3–7 years | $14.99) shares the beloved carol in an innovative new way. As each page is turned, watch as twelve days of gifts appear through clever peek-through holes on each page! Young children will love anticipating all the presents and seeing them arrive as if by magic.






The Nutcracker author/illustrator: N Puttapipat
The Nutcracker is one of the world’s most popular ballets, telling the captivating story of Clara and the Nutcracker prince as they journey into a land of fantasy. Inspired by Marius Petipa’s sets for the original production of the ballet, Niroot Puttapipat’s delicate silhouette illustrations dance across pale, watercolor-washed backgrounds in a unique interpretation. Starkly beautiful, this keepsake edition evokes all the magic and anticipation of Christmas Eve as Clara and the prince waltz between worlds—and culminates in a 3-D spread bringing the dreamlike Land of Sweets to life.
An exquisite gift edition of The Nutcracker captures the spirit of the Christmas ballet in elegant illustrations—and delivers a glorious pop-up finale.

An Artist's Alphabet author/illustrator: Norman Messenger
At first glance, this elegant alphabet book—showcasing both upper- and lowercase letters—seems to follow a familiar formula. There’s an acrobat standing atop a horse to form a big letter A and another curled under herself to make a small one. There’s a colony of beetles attached to the leaves they’ve munched, creating a big and a small letter B. But then comes the letter C, made of sea waves evoking the artist Hokusai. Or a lowercase I in the form of a pen that has left an ink smudge, or two kingly beasts that create the letter K. And what of the many letters, equally fantastical and fascinating, whose associations are left to the viewers’ imaginations? Ingenious and intriguing, beautiful and full of stunning detail, this is an alphabet book sure to invite many repeat explorations.
Readers will be mesmerized by these surreal and gorgeously rendered alphabet letters, cleverly shaped from flora, fauna, and more.


COLORING BOOKS

THE DR. SEUSS COLORING BOOK provides hours of creative fun for Dr. Seuss fans from 7 to 107, and has intricate illustrations and iconic images based on pages from such titles as The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who!, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!







Where's Waldo? The Coloring Book author/illustrator Martin Handford
Waldo insiders know that the intrepid traveler likes to sketch wherever he goes. Now fans are invited to follow suit by coloring Waldo’s classic scenes, from bustling, intricate landscapes to larger-scale images — while keeping an eye out for Waldo and other things, too!
Ready to put your eagle eye to a new challenge? Grab your markers or colored pencils and get creative by coloring scenes from Waldo’s adventures.




The twenty four festive designs include Christmas trees, gingerbread men, reindeer and more and are perfect for all ages to decorate and send to family and friends. Take inspiration from real life, or get experimental – try unusual colors and different materials to make each card truly unique! With enough blank space inside for a message, envelopes to customize and cute stickers to seal your card – this is the complete Christmas creative package!
Get creative with this amazingly innovative coloring book, full of beautifully-designed cards and envelopes to tear out and color.


OTHER BOOKS

Ultimate Oceanpedia (ages 7-10, $24.99) - Perfect for the ocean-obsessed, this book is the most complete ocean reference ever. Ultimate Oceanpedia is overflowing with amazing facts, photos, art and diagrams that take the reader on a journey through the ocean. Whales, dolphins, porpoises, turtles, sharks, fish, crustaceans, sponges -- from the weird to the wonderful -- they are all featured in breathtaking photographs with easy to read captions. Wild weather, underwater exploration and tips and pointers on how to help keep our oceans thriving round out this thick, keepsake volume.



The Book of Heroines and The Book of Heroes (ages 8-12, $14.99) - All kids are heroes in waiting and these two titles are sure to inspire.  In The Book of Heroines it's all about Girl Power!  Looking for a leading lady? How about more than 100 of them?  True stories of superstars, war heroes, world leaders, ladies in lab coats ad everyday people who all have two things in common -- they were girls and they changed the world.  From Michelle Obama, Jane Goodall and Wonder Woman to Susan B. Anthony, Gloria Steinem and Katie Ledecky, The Book of Heroines not only highlights how girls are just as tough as boys, but also challenges the reader to be a heroine herself and provides tips on how to unleash her inner heroine. The Book of Heroes highlights 100 guys who had the boldness, bravery and brains to meet the challenges of their day. Featuring a very diverse array of amazing minds, heroes from history, sports stars and even action heroes -- like Abraham Lincoln, Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking and Steve Irwin  -- boys will be sure to find more than just a few role models in the pages of this book and also perhaps inspire them that they, too, are capable of extraordinary things.  

Famous Fails! (ages 8-12, $12.99) - Perfect stocking stuffer! Discover Thomas Edison's failed inventions, what the Slinky was actually supposed to be, if Michael Jordan really was cut from his high school basketball team and what in the world Smell-o-Vision is.  Along with  the many wacky and weird -- and totally true -- strikeouts, wrong turns, foul food and pop culture disasters Famous Fails! gives kids the scoop behind what went wrong, what went right and what can be learned from it.






To celebrate the release of Patrick Ness’s acclaimed novel as a feature film, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, this gorgeous special edition of A Monster Calls includes Jim Kay’s original illustrations as well as a comprehensive bonus section featuring:
* enlightening new essays by the author (who also wrote the screenplay)
* interviews with the director, cast, and crew
* stills from the movie
* exclusive behind-the-scenes content
* previously unpublished early sketches by the illustrator, whose artwork inspires animated scenes in the film.
A deluxe hardcover edition of Patrick Ness’s masterpiece features the entire illustrated novel as well as more than one hundred pages of extraordinary film-inspired content.


Retro Photo: An Obsession: A Personal Selection of Vintage Cameras and the Photographs They Take (author/illustrator: David Ellwand). From the pinhole to the Pentax, Retro Photo: An Obsession is a visual journey through the history of photography, highlighting some of the iconic cameras of the analog era. Appealing to those new to film photography as well as the seasoned professional wanting to explore new avenues, this beautiful keepsake volume showcases more than one hundred cameras from the collection of photographer and author David Ellwand, along with photographs he has taken with them. At once an accessible guide to vintage cameras, a highly personal take on photographic history, and a celebration of classic design, here is a book that takes the fear out of old-style photography and puts the fun back in.
With exquisite original photos and boundless enthusiasm, David Ellwand offers a love song to film photography and the vintage cameras that capture it.

Hundreds of fascinating facts are waiting to be unearthed in this latest book from Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski, the creative duo behind the best-selling Maps. Dive below the surface and find out what happens under earth and under sea—from early submarines and deep-sea life to burrowing animals and man-made tunnels. You will never look at the world in the same way again! Gorgeous design and quirky illustrations make this a book to be pored over again and again.
Discover the amazing world that lies just beneath the surface!



***DISCLAIMER***
I received copies of the books above for review/sharing purposes.





Thursday, December 8, 2016

Spotlight and Giveaway: #BabyLove- My Toddler Life by Corine Dehghanpisheh




In #BabyLove: My Toddler Life, a new children’s picture book by Corine Dehghanpisheh, a curious toddler loves to play… especially with his mommy’s smartphone!

When Mommy finds him using her phone without permission, it’s the perfect teaching moment.  Mommy reminds her little one that what matters most in life is time together filled with love and attention.

Her simple reminder:  Put down our phones.

#BabyLove: My Toddler Life is the second book in Corine’s #BabyLove Book Series.  The first book in the series, #BabyLove: My Social Life, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Picture Books 0-5.



Corine’s inspirations for writing and illustrating come from everyday life.  When she is not busy being creative, she is most likely having fun taking pictures of her family.

Corine is a Mom’s Choice Awards® Silver Recipient and a Next Generation Indie Author Finalist for her debut children’s book Can We Play Again?. Her inspiration for this book came from her work as a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in NYC. She is also the author of Buddy’s Dream.

Corine recently moved to Dallas, TX from NYC with her family. Readers can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to BooksByCorineD.com


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Monday, December 5, 2016

A Boy Called Christmas Blog Tour {review and giveaway}



A Boy Called Christmas
by Matt Haig
November 1, 2016
Knopf BFYR
Source: from pub for review
Before there was Santa Claus, there was a young boy who believed in the impossible. . . . Lemony Snicket meets Elf in this warmhearted Christmas caper.
Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him.
Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late. . . .
Sparkling with wit and warmth, A Boy Called Christmas is a cheeky new Christmas classic-in-the-making from acclaimed author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould.


PRAISE
“Irresistibly readable. Destined to become a Christmas and anytime-before-or-after-Christmas classic!” –Chris Grabenstein, New York Timesbestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

“Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition.” —Kirkus, Starred review

“Award-winning British author Matt Haig (To Be a Cat) writes with warmth, wit and irreverence.” —Shelf Awareness, Starred review

“Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.”—Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book

“The definitive (and funny) history of Ho, ho, ho! My children loved it.” —Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi

“Humorous and heartfelt, A Boy Called Christmas will grow your heart three sizes and make you believe in magic.” –Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump

“The most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades. Future generations will receive the same comfort and joy from A Boy Called Christmas that they derive from mince pies, snowmen and creamy liqueurs.” –Stephen Fry

“Matt Haig puts the Happy back into Christmas.” –Jeanette Winterson

“A new festive classic. Funny, sad and brilliant. It turns out we only knew half the story.” –Simon Mayo, BBC

“An instant Christmas classic… Nikolas is a terrific character, clearly the offspring of Gerda from The Snow Queen and Roald Dahl’s Charlie Bucket.”  –The Guardian

Nikolas is an 11 year old boy who lives in a tiny shack with his woodcutter father, only a turnip doll for a toy, and his only friend a mouse...but Nikolas, nicknamed “Christmas” is happy and still believes in magic and goodness. When his father disappears far up north, Nikolas sets out on a journey to the North Pole and the legendary Elfhelm (home of the elves) to find him. Along the way, Nikolas befriends a Reindeer named Blitzen, battles with a troll, contends with a tricksy pixie, and discovers that the land of the elves isn’t all he imagined. This is the story of how young Nikolas one day become the beloved Father Christmas!

Matt Haig’s A Boy Called Christmas is full of cheer, charm, and cheeky storytelling! Haig has created an imaginative and endearing history for Father Christmas, aka Santa Claus, and has brought even more wonderment, awe, and whimsy to the beloved character’s timeless story. Through a sweet, yet humorous and pitch-perfect voice, the story of Nikolas unfolds in a captivating and entertaining way, with plenty of moments full of laughs, excitement, and heart. The land of the elves, Elfhelm, is wonderfully imagined and brought to life! Young readers will not be disappointed in this wintery, wonderland bustling with magic and mischief.

Nikolas’ optimistic spirit, graceful heart, and bravery make him an endearing and engaging character, that young readers will root for. Haig also introduces Nikolas and readers to a sleigh full of fun, lovable characters, from a surly reindeer, sassy pixie, a sweet elf girl, a grumpy old elf, and more!

My final thoughts: A Boy Called Christmas is bursting with holiday cheer and merriment, and with its charming story and lovable characters it is sure to be a Christmas favorite!

5/5 Cupcakes


Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England in 1975. He writes books for both adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist. His bestselling novels are translated into 28 languages. The Guardian has described his writing as 'delightfully weird' and the New York Times has called him 'a novelist of great talent' whose writing is 'funny, riveting and heartbreaking'.

His novels for adults are The Last Family in England, narrated by a labrador and optioned for film by Brad Pitt; The Dead Fathers Club (2006), an update of Hamlet featuring an 11-year-old boy; The Possession of Mr Cave (2008), about a man obsessed with his daughter's safety, and The Radleys (2010) which won Channel 4's TV Book Club public vote and was shortlisted for a Galaxy National Book Award (UK). The film rights to all his adult novels have been sold. His next adult novel is The Humans (2013).

His multi-award winning popular first novel for children, Shadow Forest, was published in 2007 and its sequel, The Runaway Troll, in 2009. His most recent children's novel is To Be A Cat (2012). Website * Facebook * Twitter


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Random House has generously offered one (1) finished copy for one winner.
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-ends 12/11/16
-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
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