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A No Holds Barred Imagine-fest
In Book III the Triumviratus Makenna’s dad’s soul is taken to the lowest level of Hell and her two best friends traverse the nine levels of hell to rescue her dad’s soul. What were some sources that inspired this novels development?
Certainly, a big influence was Dante’s Inferno. I even reference it in the book. Another big influence was my wife, Misty. She tends to push me to write more emotionally and graphically.
I enjoyed how creative this story is. What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I really enjoyed writing the scenes when the boys are travelling through the Under realms. This for me was a no holds barred imagine-fest. When you are creating your own version of hell, there are no limits. The biggest challenge was making it original and real all at the same time.
Your characters continue to be as interesting as ever. What character do you feel you resonate with the most?
I would have to say the character I resonate with the most is the irascible, wise-cracking Fluffy. He is my humorous voice, and he is just fun to write.
What can readers expect in book four in The Chronicles of the Virago series?
In the next in the series, readers can expect love triangles, more secrets of Makenna’s origins, more from the twin-gift Emilyne and Noah, and a host of new colorful characters.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Marky the Magnificent Fairy
In Marky the Magnificent Fairy by Cynthia Kern Obrien, readers are presented with an array of characters with numerous differences and physical capabilities that are then quickly explained and understood. As society is becoming more aware and educated on the diversity of people in many aspects, it is important to be able to introduce this subject to growing minds, and this vibrant children’s book does just that.
Throughout this charming picture book, readers are taken on a journey exploring the differences between people and get to understand self-love, confidence, acceptance, compassion, and positivity, among other things. All these things are core values that all people should learn about, but author Cynthia Kern OBrien makes it very easy for young readers to understand. All of these characteristics come into play as children grow into adulthood. This book also includes discussion questions that get kids to self-reflect and understand themselves and others better. Teachers will greatly appreciate The Resource Guide, as I thought it was helpful in furthering the discussion on how to handle situations with disabled people.
The beautiful illustrations were incredibly adorable and fit the atmosphere of the book perfectly. They were charming and captured the essence of each unique character. The writing is easy to follow and sends a clear and compassionate message. I would highly recommend Marky the Magnificent Fairy to all children, parents, and teachers. This would be a great book to have in an elementary school classroom to inspire discussion on diversity and self-respect.
Pages: 36 | ISBN: 1589850157
Sled With Me: I Love You to the North Pole and Beyond
Sled With Me is an enchanting children’s book that takes readers on an imaginative journey to the North Pole. Readers will see a cozy village, visit the workshop where elves are busy making toys, and see Santa and his reindeer all in one fun-filled night.
In this charming kid’s book author Sharon Purtill tells a magical holiday adventure all through rhyme. Each rhyme is short, cute, and perfect for the season. The language is perfect for parents to read to their young children, or for early readers to read on their own.
Every page of this picture book is illustrated from edge to edge with vibrant and sharp illustrations that bring each scene to life. There is so much detail on every page that children will surely spend several minutes on each page picking out all the different things, especially when they get to the North Pole and see the cute polar bears on skates.
This is a wonderfully detailed children’s book that brings together all of your favorite holiday characters. This book is so much more than a Christmas story. It shows children how to use their imagination to take them wherever they want to go. Sled With Me is a delightful children’s book that will inspire your child’s next dream adventure.
Pages: 37 | ASIN: B0BMVYS1LF
Tierra Day
When Tierra joins her eagle friend Eli for a walk along a nature trail, they are dismayed at the amount of trash scattered around the landscape. They meet up with Monte Mountain Lion on the trail and brainstorm ways to clean up land together. They devise a plan to hold Tierra Day on Earth Day, a celebration and community clean-up event to help humans and animals.
Tierra Day, written by Rachel Bate, is an inspiring children’s book that teaches the importance of recycling and cleaning up after yourself. The story talks about how keeping the Earth clean is a community effort. One person alone can not do it all, and this story highlights the value of getting the entire community involved. The animals even work together to surprise the humans on this special day.
The artwork done by Rebecca Jacob is beautiful and colorful. The paintings will appeal to children with their vivid colors and textures. I especially liked Monty; his expressions made me laugh.
At the end of this educational book is a fact sheet on Earth Day and a glossary; this makes it perfect for classrooms and teachers to use for a lesson on Earth Day. Many children’s books on Earth Day focus just on actually cleaning up and the importance of recycling. What stood out for me in this book was that the planning was discussed. The author emphasizes how important it is to get the word out and get involvement from the community, even the Mayor and Governor. This shows children that it is the responsibility of all people, no matter how important their jobs are, to help keep the Earth clean and trash-free.
Tierra Day is a well-thought-out and written children’s book with an important message about doing your part to keep your community clean. This book would be excellent for anyone who wants to teach children the importance of recycling and how taking care of the Earth impacts not just humans but the animals we share the planet with.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0BGZXNCWV
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Plastic
Pixie and Trixie Van Dimple are enjoying a day at the seaside with their family. After telling their dad, they were going to the loo, they sneak off to the sweet shop. After enjoying their finds, they realize they need to hide the evidence, but there is no trash or recycling bin in sight. So Pixie does the one thing she can think of, lets the plastic bag of trash fly off in the wind, straight into the sea. Thinking they are free and clear, they continue with their day. Soon though, from the water arises a monster. It is made out of all the discarded plastic, and trash humans have carelessly tossed away. This causes a worldwide incident, and the ECO Defense system is activated. Can Earth be saved from this plastic trash monster?
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Plastic, written by Lynn McAllister, is an exciting children’s book that teaches about the dangers of throwing away plastic and especially tossing it into the ocean. It also highlights how communication lines run through the ocean seabed, and when trash is littered through the ocean, it can impact the world’s ability to communicate. The characters are dramatic and entertaining and are portrayed in a manner that will appeal to preteen readers using examples of social media as a way of reporting the disaster at hand. The rhyming narrative adds to the humor of the story and adds a fun twist to a monster tale. In addition, the illustrations add to the humor and strengthen the emotions the author is portraying. There are many terms and abbreviations in this book, which gives families and classes a variety of things to discuss, covering multiple subjects.
Pixie Van Dimple and the Wrong Kind of Plastic is an educational children’s adventure book that will appeal to older elementary readers. The colorful illustrations and lyrical text will keep them engaged as they follow the drama of Pixie and her family. With lessons on the importance of recycling, taking care of the Earth, and protecting our oceans and wildlife, this will make an excellent storybook for a classroom or library.
Pages: 34 | ASIN : B0BCH2Q6MM
I Hope It Sparks Some Curiosity
Adventures of the Negassi Brothers follows two brothers who are transported through time in a traditional coffee ceremony to witness their family’s history. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
As a first generation immigrant, I wanted to create a story I could share with my sons, Isaiah & Azariah. A book that was timeless and relevant at any age of their lives. A story they could share with their own children in the future. It is also an introduction into their history. I hope it sparks some curiosity that grows into reading and learning more about themselves.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your characters life?
One of the most important memories for me was sharing stories with my own father. There were many stories about back-home and how he grew up. My love of history began with these stories.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
The story had to capture the essence of our culture, it was important to incorporate coffee and the coffee ceremony. Our countries, Eritrea & Ethiopia, have thousands of years of history together and apart, it’s easy to get lost in politics and tribalism. It was important that I leave that out of the story and focus on the historical facts.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book will be a about our language, Tigrinya. A simple to read children’s book of our alphabet and common words. There are over 200 letter in our alphabet so I’ll have to think through the breakdown. It will be available Q2 of 2023.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
LITERARY TITAN 