Tag Archives: book reviews

Sep15

Back to School Blog Tour: Day 4

Posted on by
Standard

backtoschool2016We’re already up to Day 4 of the blog tour. I hope you have been enjoying the daily featured authors. There has been a wide range of books, from Middle Grade to Reading instruction readers, to a picture book. Today, I share with you the author of a fabulous Middle Grade reader, Sandra R. Anderson. She is the author of Konrad and the Birthday Painting. She is a mother of two boys who fortunately have yet to show any interest in art. They are too busy catching Pokémon.

After several years of translating other people’s books by day and reading tons of children’s books every night at bedtime, she decided that she had some stories of her own to tell. She first got started by taking a course in writing for children at the cultural center Näs, right next to Astrid Lindgren’s childhood home.

She writes books for children and for grown-ups and anyone else who likes stories that are about something more than at first glance. She still works as a translator. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, baking, and Postcrossing, although not simultaneously. She is an accidental stamp collector and keeps forgetting to water her potted plants, particularly when she’s working on a new book.

I had the chance to ask Ms. Anderson about her thoughts on writing, her favorite school memories, and what she is up to right now.

sandraanderson

Sandra R. Anderson is the author of Konrad and the Birthday Party available on Amazon.

1) Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?
I was the type of kid that read everything I could get my hands on, so I couldn’t name just one. I loved the classics, wandering around on that deserted island with Robinson Crusoe and exploring the oceans with Captain Nemo, but I also solved mysteries alongside Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys, discovered smugglers and hidden treasure with the Famous Five and slept with my feet on the pillow and baked gingerbread cookies on the floor with Pippi Longstocking.
I honestly can’t imagine the person I would have grown up to be if I hadn’t had all of these characters in my life as a child and am eternally grateful to the authors who created them. They opened my eyes to other people’s lives and experiences and made me see things differently. They broadened my horizons and made me a far better person than I would have been otherwise.
2) What is your most memorable school moment?
The best time I ever had in school was when I lived in Norway for a few years and went to school in a tiny school building with the sea on one side and tall mountains on the other. One time the entire school (not that many kids, perhaps 60 or 70 in all) rode a bus to the next valley over and then went on skis back over the mountains. Eating my school lunch at the top of a mountain is a memory that I will treasure forever.
3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
My best writing gets done really early in the morning, before the rest of my family wakes up. I’m an early bird and often wake up at 4 or 5. When everything is quiet, and the whole family is tucked away in bed, that’s when I can give my undivided attention to the characters in my stories and go on adventures with them. That said, if that wasn’t an option, I would write with blunt crayons on wet napkins up in a tree in the middle of a hurricane. Sometimes a story just needs to be told.
4) Was there anything in school that was difficult for you?
Sure. I’m not very good at a lot of things. I’m pretty good at reading and writing, but that’s about it. When it came to the more practical subjects, I was all thumbs, and I am still capable of burning a salad or sewing a shirt to my trousers if I try to replace a lost
button. But the thing I found most difficult in school was the social aspect, the unwritten rules that govern the playground. We moved a lot, so I was always the new kid, always failing to fit in.
5) What is writing to you in one sentence?
The magic that allows us to see the world through someone else’s eyes, explore places and situations that would otherwise be out of reach, and be anyone we want to be.
6) What projects are you working on right now?
I’m writing the next book in the Artworld series, of course, to find out what Konrad gets up to now that he has discovered an exciting new world inside of paintings. I’m also working on a science fiction story for ages 9 and up and have a coming of age saga for the same age group on the back burner. I  like to work on several different projects simultaneously, to avoid writer’s block, but there are only so many hours in a day, unfortunately. I also write for grown-ups under a different pen name, and have a few projects I’m working on there, as well. The most urgent is a ghost story that I hope to have done in time for Halloween.
To connect to Sandra R. Anderson, find her at:

Her website: www.sandrarandersson.com

Her Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorSandraR

 

BOOK REVIEW: KONRAD AND THE BIRTHDAY PAINTING

konradb-daypaint

Sandra R. Anderson writes a brilliant fantasy world in this Middle Grade Book available on Amazon.

***** Five Stars

Konrad and the Birthday Painting is a fast and fun fantasy adventure for middle graders. Konrad, a second grader, finds some mysterious glasses that allow him to look into a painting in the school office that, by chance, is like a map of the real school. He witnesses the taking of the Fifth Grade field trip funds, and has to stop his friend, Casper from being blamed for the theft.

Along the way, he discovers that the glasses work on other paintings at a nearby museum. This introduces him to the virtual world of “Artworld”. Will he want to come back to reality once he discovers this amazing new place?

This is a real creative fantasy that plays with the concept of the real world and a virtual world. I love stories that play with a fantasy world just on the edge of the real world. Anderson does a brilliant job of creating the world and the tension that Konrad has to struggle with. He has to think about his family still in the real world, and make a choice between the two. With wisps of Narnia, I recommend Konrad and the Birthday Painting to readers that love to play in fantasy worlds.

As part of this week’s special discounts and giveaways, you can download a free copy of Konrad and the Birthday Painting HERE!

**The giveaways are still up and going. Here is a list of all the books on discount/free and the big $25 Amazon Gift Card giveaway.

**Also available on Amazon.

GIVEAWAYS and DISCOUNTS

Here is the current list of freebies, discounts, and giveaways during the blog tour. All discounts, freebies and giveaways will be running through the blog tour dates: 9/12-9/16.

  1. Win a $25 shopping spree on Amazon! Link to the Rafflecopter giveaway link here!
  2. Download a free copy of Konrad and the Birthday Painting HERE!
  3. Philip Gibson’s Graded Word For Word Reader 1 & 2 Free
  4.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018ZQQ98C
  5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019J1U2RQ
  6. The Lost Secret of Fairies: Discounted to $0.99
  7. Win a notebook set, bookmarks or the book Tinker Bee by Erin Liles: http://erinbethliles.weebly.com/blog/back-to-school-blog-tour-giveaway

For an interview with Martine Lewis on Erin Liles’s Blog, LINK HERE! 

Come back tomorrow for the final post to wrap up this week of Back to School celebration!

 

 

Aug18

Back To School Blog Tour: Slots Still Open

Posted on by
Standard
backtoschool2016

Back To School Blog Tour 2016 is Sept. 12-16.

Greetings everyone. Plans are underway for the 4th annual Back To School Blog Tour coming up on Sept. 12-16. All week, authors will be featured with interviews and reviews of their books. Giveaways are also in the works. So, please stop by on Sept. 12 for a week of fantastic children’s literature to start off your school year.

Plus, there are still some slots open for this event. If you are an Indie children’s author and are interested, please email me at: tiff@tiffmester.net. Let me know you’re interested, what type of children’s book you have, age level, and any promos you might be interested in doing. Authors can set up their own giveaway, and I’ll be promoting the links. I’ll also be setting up a Back To School Blog Tour Giveaway that everyone can put on their blogs. The deadline to get back to me is Aug. 25.

To all the teachers and students going back to school over the next few weeks, have a fun and safe return. Happy reading!

-Tiffany Turner

Jul19

Last Day of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour

Posted on by
Standard

Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Welcome to the last day of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour. Today, the blog tour starts to wind up. I’d like to thank my fellow fantasy/sci-fi bloggers for organizing and putting on a fun, exciting blog tour for the week.
Maybe we should all do it again next year?

I also wanted to link to some of the other awesome posts that have happened this week.

Blog Links

1) Interview with the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour Authors-This is a mass interview with 5 authors, including myself, to kick off the blog tour. Still awesome to read, even after the blog tour is over.

2) How to Dame a Dark Elf-another idea of how to have elves relate to you, but good luck. Dark elves are tricky.

3)Magic System in Valkia-curious about how to set up a magik system in your world of fantasy? Here is a good reference as the author, Ryan Sullivan, explains how she set up her system of magic.

4) A New Take on Elves: A Step Away From Tolkien-Author Chrystalla Thoma has created a new way to think about elves. She takes a step away from the Tolkien vision, and creates her own.

Giveaways

So, to close, I’m going to repeat some of the giveaways going on. There is still time to enter, by end of tonight, 11:59pm.

1) Win a paperback set of the Crystal Keeper Chronicles-Fantasy/Adventure Series by Tiffany Turner

All books will be mailed in paperback format. The lucky winner will receive an autographed set. Here is how to enter:

Win the Crystal Keeper Paperback Set Here!

Now for the second awesome giveaway! This is the Grand Prize. All the authors in the blog tour have chipped in for this one. There is an age limit to enter. You must be 18 years or older. The prizes include:

Ebook Yseult by Ruth Nestvold
Ebook bundle Season 1 Boreal and John Grey by Chrystalla Thoma
Ebook bundle Dark Elf by Willo Nonea Rea
Ebook Caitlin’s Book of Shadows by Juli D. Revezzo
Print book Raingun by John Blackport
Ebook Aundes Aura by Ryan Sullivan
Ebook Seeking a Scribe by Marsha A. Moore
Ebook Her Master’s Madness by J.E. & M. Keep
Ebook Wings of Shadow by Anna Kyss
Ebook Rune Breaker by Landon Porter
Ebook Judgement Rising by Tracy Falbe
Ebook The Chosen by Annette Gisby
Ebook New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer by John & Annette Gisby
Gift certificate

Entry form below. Good luck!
Magik and Mayhem Grand Prize Giveaway

Plus, the Kboards.com Welcome giveaway for a $75 Amazon Gift card continues for a few more days. Enter and win! It’s sponsored by Tiffany Turner, Endi Webb, and H.M. Ward.

Win a $75 Amazon Gift Card

I hope you enjoyed stopping by this week and enjoying the focus on elves, magik, and fantasy books. Will it happen again next year? Time can only tell. Have a great weekend!

***There is still time to visit the other Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour sites. Posts will remain up even after the blog tour ends.

Jul11

Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour and Giveaway: July 15-19

Posted on by
Standard

Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Starts July 15 and runs through July 19


Coming next week is an exciting event for all those that love elves, fairies, and creatures of magik. The Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour will be starting next Monday, July 15 and run through Friday, July 19. Many of the blogs will be featuring information, books, and giveaways regarding elves and creatures of magik.

If you enjoy reading fantasy books or know someone who does, this is a great way to discover and learn more about elves, fantasy, and the mysteries of magik. I’ll be giving away an ebook copy of the first book in the Crystal Keeper series, The Lost Secret of Fairies. Other prizes will include:

Ebook Yseult by Ruth Nestvold
Ebook bundle Season 1 Boreal and John Grey by Chrystalla Thoma
Ebook bundle Dark Elf by Willo Nonea Rea
Ebook Caitlin’s Book of Shadows by Juli D. Revezzo
Print book Raingun by John Blackport
Ebook Aundes Aura by Ryan Sullivan
Ebook Seeking a Scribe by Marsha A. Moore
Ebook Her Master’s Madness by J.E. & M. Keep
Ebook Wings of Shadow by Anna Kyss
Ebook Rune Breaker by Landon Porter
Ebook Judgement Rising by Tracy Falbe
Ebook The Chosen by Annette Gisby
Ebook New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer by John & Annette Gisby
Gift certificate

Bookmark your calendar for Mon. July 15. A post with an entry form will appear with further information on how to join in on the blog tour. Until then, may the elves help and assist where they can. Anon!

Sep30

Codename: Dancer is YA For Glee-sters

Posted on by
Standard

Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice

If you love “Glee” and “Dancing with the Stars”, this is a book you have got to try. Set at a performing arts boarding school, this is a mystery packed full with teens, dancing, and accidental mishaps.

Dani is starting her freshman year at her dream school. Little does she know that a film crew is there to shoot a new reality show. They need dancers to be paired up with teen celebrities. Waffling only slightly about trying out, Dani nails it.

Added to the cast, the mystery begins. Falling set pieces, fake bombs left in her bag, and a fire set to the dance studio start to point fingers at her as the suspect.
But luckily, Dani is surrounded by her fellow cast members that believe, with a little gumshoe thinking, they can solve the case.

I grew up as a theater geek. So any book with a performing school related background catches my interest. With a simple connect the dots plot line, it’s a straight forward mystery.
There wasn’t a huge amount of guess work on who done it. If you like real complicated, intense mysteries, this might not be for you. But overall, it delivered a good, basic suspenseful plot that delivered complete with twist ending. However, it is a bit simple minded on the who-done-it aspect. For a clean, fun read with teens obsessed with texting, cute teen stars, and dance, this is a definite read for you or the teen in your life. (less)

**** Four Star Rating
Available on Amazon.com and

Jan2

Took Me Back to My D & D Days

Posted on by
Standard

The Legend of Witchbane by Kevis Hendrickson


The Legend of Witch Bane is a D & D adventure come to life, but of course more with a Norse Mythology twist. The first thing that struck me about this book was the Grimm’s Fairy Tale narration style of the novel. It took some getting used to, but it grew on me. I loved the characters relating to the world of fairy and crossing over into Norse Mythology. It was good fun traveling along with the three children to solve the curse of their kingdom. I felt I was 13 again playing D & D. I think kids will enjoy this, and some adults too, esp. if they’ve played a few role playing games.

Available in Paperback and Kindle Edition

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars