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Twins Mac & Madi Back to School
Twins Mac & Madi Back to School is a beautifully written picture book about twin sisters who will be separated at school for the first time in their lives. Due to an injury, Madi would have to ride a bus and go to a different school than her twin Mac. Neither was happy about this situation, and both feared having to go to third grade without the other. However, their wonderful mom helped them through this challenging time, and they learned that doing things apart is not always bad.
Twins have a special bond, and it can be a challenge when they have to do different things at a young age. This heartfelt story also addresses the fears of young children when they have to do something different and new. Making new friends is hard, and going someplace new without knowing anyone is also tricky. These topics are addressed in a way that young children can understand and see that their fears are normal. Author Linda Herron gives children relatable situations and solutions that are adaptable to their own lives. I love how Herron validates the girls’ feelings and does not minimize their struggles. Kids in early elementary need to know that their feelings are normal and it is ok to have them.
Twins Mac & Madi Back to School, written by Linda Herron and beautifully illustrated by Marie Delon, is a phenomenal picture book that teaches children about friendship, dealing with new situations, and how to manage their feelings of fear and the unknown. I highly recommend this for children that are starting a new school and dealing with new situations.
Pages: 31 | ASIN : B0BC9RHYSF
TWINS: Double Trouble, Double Treat
Annie Gibbins’ Twins: Double Trouble, Double Treat is an informative book about living with twins. From the start, readers will realize that the author writes this book as a labor of love. The story is told from the perspective of a woman who is comfortable sharing vulnerable and candid thoughts and experiences as a mother of five.
Imagine having two sets of twins and navigating the many challenges that most mothers and parents face while also gaining a new perspective of the mysterious yet fascinating world of twins and multiple births. Gibbins offers a refreshing look at what most people worry about while highlighting the importance of parenting and how this relates to the often complex yet rewarding experience of raising twins.
I enjoyed the book’s educational style, providing interesting trivia and random facts about multiple births, which is fun to share with family and friends. The author brilliantly uses bullet points to highlight important points, which help them stand out as helpful advice and reassurance.
While this book is focused on the author’s first-hand experiences, it is a great read that any parent can relate to and enjoy. It’s a fantastic book for anyone who is curious about twins, pregnancy, and parenting in general. Gibbins has a direct way of starting each chapter and addressing the content so readers can benefit from her knowledge and experience while dispelling common concerns. Despite the challenges of raising a big family with twins, the author urges women to take it easy and give themselves credit for all they are capable of, which makes this book a celebration of parenthood and motherhood. I found the direct style of Gibbins’ approach refreshing and to the point, which is essential considering how little time many parents have to spare.
I give this book, Annie Gibbins’ Twins: Double Trouble, Double Treat, a 5 out of 5 stars for its candid and helpful advice that’s based on real-life experiences on the joys and challenges of parenthood. This book does a fantastic job of distilling the early years of raising multiple children into an exciting journey of memories, laughs, bumps, bruises, diapers, patience, and valuable lessons.
Pages: 181 | ASIN: B0B9XG5XT2
The Preservationists
When teenage fraternal twins Daniel and Dustin lose their mother during their senior year of high school, their life journeys split apart. Daniel moves off to a distant city full of romance and history, seeking a new start and finding unusual allies, including his challenging and highly accomplished new boss. He also meets a young viola player, who helps him explore the world around him, and with each new adventure captures another piece of his heart.
Meanwhile, his brother Dustin is lured into drugs and criminality by the town’s most seedy individuals and has to be forced back on track by his brother with the help of an intelligent, well-traveled older woman.
The Idea of Good and Evil
Rose M. Channing Author Interview
The Mansion’s Family follows Savannah and Ellie as they try to restore the magical balance of the world. What were some themes that you felt were important to highlight in this story?
One of my major themes was the idea of good and evil inside each person, and how no one can be entirely one or the other. Ellie and Savannah are seen at first glance as pure and good, and in The Mansion’s Family, they must face their own darkness. The theme of family was of course another important one. I wanted to start a discussion about the different kinds of families, what makes a family, and the effects (both good and bad) your family can have on you.
Are you a fan of the fantasy genre? What books do you think most influenced your work?
I’ve always been a huge fan of the fantasy genre. Books like the Harry Potter series sparked my love of fantasy and magic. Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials was a huge inspiration, mainly for the idea of other worlds. Inkheart is another. I love the concept of a book coming to life in the real world, an idea that has influenced my books later in the series.
What is one pivotal moment in the story that you think best defines Savannah and Ellie? Did any of the characters development occur organically through the story or was it planned?
I think a pivotal moment is when the girls discover the cause of the storm, and learn their part in preventing another one. The decision they have to make forces them to take a hard look at themselves, and come to terms with the fact that they can’t (and shouldn’t have to) always be the world’s perfect image of “The Senka Twins.” A great deal of the character development was organic. When I first started writing the series, I thought my main theme would be good vs evil, and have nothing really to do with families. When family themes began to emerge, I decided to just let them, and I’m glad I did.
Where does the story go in the next book and where do you see it going in the future?
I’m at the point where the story splits into several directions. I’ve recently published a prequel, Acapella Angels which tells the story of Ellie and Savannah’s parents. I have another prequel in the works, reaching further back, all the way to the world’s beginnings. Continuing the present timeline, Twisted Twins will pick up where The Mansion’s Family left off. This will reveal what’s in store for Eva, Jordan, and Dece. In the future, I want to keep the series moving between the magical world and our own world. Sent from a Dream will have the characters meeting their author, and from there on, these worlds will be forever connected.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
The cause of the storm remains a mystery, and June fears there could be another. She enlists the help of the Senka twins, but the girls only grow frustrated after hitting dead ends. Ellie is far more curious about what she and Savannah might find on the other world, and eventually, June agrees to let them go. Exploring the other world, the twins discover far more than what they bargained for. Secrets of the past are revealed, both in the mansion, and beyond the shadow cave. Though Jerome remains bound in the forest, the trap grows weak, and a battle is coming. Ellie and Savannah are no warriors, but they still have an important part to play. This time their mission is not to rebuild, it is one of great sacrifice. They discover a secret of their magic, one that will allow them once again to keep the mansion’s people safe. But the price may be too high to pay.
The Mansion’s Twins
Rose Channing delivers a captivating fantasy novel filled with magic, friendship and discovery. The Mansion’s Twins is the story of Savannah and Ellie Senka, a pair of identical twins who lived in the real world in two different families and then brought together by a twist of Fate and magic inside the mansion of another world, where other gifted children were taught how to use good magic and the others gifts within themselves. For the both of them, they learned it was a whole new world inside this alternate universe for them to make things right and fight against the roots of evil.
For Savannah Senka, the oldest sibling in the Kali family, who wanted a break from reality and her father’s wrath. She ran into a girl named Ellie, who looked like her as her own mirror image. Together they bonded as friends and discovered a mirror cave that lead them inside the mansion of the dreamworld. That’s when they learned about their destiny as the Senka twins and made new friends inside the mansion. They discovered about their own magical gifts from June and Julian, the two leaders of the clan. While they made new friends inside their new home, they learned how it was up to them to go on their journey to fight against evil, learn their magical gifts from the legend of Claire and Dmitri, and to reset the balance in their world.
The mansion world was very idealistic with its own nuances inside the home with each specific room and places. For their type of kingdom, it was very special with the mirror world of psychic gifts and extraordinary magic that give it a hint of fantasy. The elders and the other characters had their own story on how they landed here to make it this home. Whether they were gifted or different, they were loved and wanted.
There is a lot of potential for this story to be carried on through several books in a series. I felt that there was a lot of telling rather than showing, but this was a fascinating novel with depth and intelligence. I would compare this novel to Stephen King’s “Firestarter” and V.C. Andrews’ books, because of the psychic theme. Rose is a gifted writer who built a whole new world within this magical tale that young adults would enjoy reading.
Pages: 428 | ISBN: 1500310298
Their Personal War
The Poetic Heroic is a story about two brothers that live very different lives. What was your process in creating their duality? Did you always know that the brothers would be set against one another?
Beathabane and Cruelthor, the two brothers focused on in The Poet Heroic, were from the beginning set up to be one good twin, one bad twin. I’ve always thought twins make for great characters because of all the different ways you can explore nature/nurture, personal choices, etc. With these brothers in particular, I wanted to write this story to show how their personal war started – they were at one time loving brothers. It’s the choices they make that diverge their paths so drastically.
There are many plot lines that you’re juggling in this story. I always liken multi-strand plot lines like Pulp Fiction for some reason. How hard was it for you to keep track of the plots and still complete a full story within 82 pages?
I guess I don’t really see it as multiple plots, for some reason. In my head, it’s all just one story being told in different chunks, different steps along Beathabane’s journey. In a short book like this, I find HOW the story is told to be almost as much fun as WHAT story is told. It somehow felt natural to tell it this way, but I especially liked book-ending the story with a quick scene from the future, which gives some hints as to how Beathabane’s later life turned out.
In my experience fantasy novels are long epic stories. The Poetic Heroic accomplishes so much in only 82 pages? Was the short length by design or did you have a different plan?
This short is very much a character prequel to The Kota, the first book in my main series (THAT is my epic). In the series, Beathabane is a minor character. He’s important, but he’s not there very much. So for The Poet Heroic, I wanted to flesh out his story just enough to explain how he became who he became in the main series. The length was very purposeful, because it’s a teaser to the main series. Some things that might seem unanswered in The Poet Heroic are purposefully left a bit mysterious because you learn more in the main books. For people who’ve read the series first, there are things in The Poet Heroic that are “Ah-Ha!” moments, but I think it works both ways.
When is the next book in the series coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?
The Kota Series has 4 main novels, and in that way the series is complete. But I always wanted to flesh out some characters who didn’t get a lot of time in the main series. That’s where the Kota Shorts come in – they’re companion stories to the main series. The Poet Heroic is now my second Kota Short, and The Woman of the Void (about Beathabane and Cruelthor’s mother) is the first, but you can read them in any order. I have a LOT of Kota Shorts planned, and probably next up will be a story from one of the other planets in the Kota story-universe.
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Your loved ones lie to you; your enemies tell the truth. Who would you trust? Born a telepath, Vale Olander knows he is not his father’s favorite son. Living in the shadow of his charismatic twin brother, Vale must find his own place in his father’s Dominion empire. But when Vale encounters a team of rebels, his world flips upside down. He must make a choice. Will he remain loyal and serve his brother? Or will he stand on his own and risk everything?
LITERARY TITAN 