Monthly Book Giveaway!

I have to phase out this blog because I have two of them and can barely keep up with one. Especially being in the throws of pre-publishing book launch for the print version of Guardian Cats. 

So I'd love to have you follow me over to Mystic Coffee, my authors/writer's blog which just got a new makeover. Take a look. I'll make it worth your while because I'm featuring a Monthly Book Giveaway and focusing on Middle Grade fiction which is my favorite genre. 

MONTHLY BOOK GIVEAWAY? Yes, I'll be giving away a brand new copy (your choice of print or e-book) of some of your favorite MG writers. My first giveaway will be Gennifer Choldenko's latest book, No Passengers Beyond This Point which just came out in February. I've ordered a copy and it's in the mail. Gennifer's other books are Al Capone Does My Shirts, Notes from a Liar and Her Dog, and If a Tree Falls at Lunchbreak.

The next giveaway will most likely be my book, Guardian Cats and the Lost Book of Alexandria.

See you there!

Rahma | Mystic Coffee

Free a free copy of my book!

I'm giving away a free copy of GUARDIAN CATS at Freado.com

Just click on the 'Win my Book' widget in the right hand column, which will take you to Freado.com where you can enter to win all kinds of free books besides mine. Simple games like Hangman and Book Cover Memory Match, help you win the points you need to win free copies of books authors are promoting. Did I mention that you can enter to win Kindles and iPad too!

Pretty cool tool.

Give away date is June 30th so go have some and fun be sure to bid on my book. You only need 1,000 points to win. Thanks!

To bid on my book at Freado, click on the Prizes tab, then scroll down to categories, choose either Sci-Fi or Children’s Books, then scroll down until it you see it, then you can bid when you’ve earned 1,000 points. Good luck!
 
Of course, if you don't want to wait that long, you can get it on Amazon, now only 2.99 for Kindle.
Guardian Cats and the Lost Books of Alexandria

What are your favorites when it comes to picture books?

Since I reviewed The Rice Bag Hammock yesterday, I've been caught up looking a picture books, both classics and new releases.

I usually think of bedtime-type stories when I think of picture books, but running across this one reminded me of all the 'how things work' type of books my kids read.

I'm really excited about the new picture books I see coming out. If a book looks like one I'd read to my grand kids, I'll be adding it to my Amazon store so check it out. (There's a bookstore tab at the top of my blog in case you lose this post.) This new release really fits the bill. I can tell my kids would have loved it.

"Award-winning author and illustrator Lisa Campbell Ernst takes a closer look at the great outdoors as she celebrates young children's inquisitiveness about the world around them. Ernst describes the inner workings of acorns, bubbles, puddles, ants, wagons, clouds, and birds in detailed, yet easy-to-understand language. Her meticulous and cleverly labeled drawings inventively illustrate the functioning of everyday objects."

Let me know... what are your favorites when it comes to picture books? Include anything from what you remember as a kid to what you're reading to your kids now. 

Thanks to my readers who shared their favorites yesterday. New additions to my bookstore include: Miss Rumphius, The Giving Tree, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Guess How Much I Love You, and Love You Forever. 

Review of The Rice Bag Hammock | a picture book

While waiting for the proof of my book, I've been restocking my bookstore. Today I'm featuring a picture book to kick off my new Picture Book section.


Here's my Goodreads review of The Rice Bag Hammock by Shaeeza Haniff, illustrated by Swafeha Khan

"Picture books portray an illusion of simplicity and are usually underrated in the book world. The Rice Bag Hammock is simple, but as a writer I know how much goes on behind the scenes to make simple look effortless which this book achieves.
Like the threads of the rice bags woven into a hammock, this story is woven from memories of the author's warm home life.  Its lyrical, repeated text is reminiscent of 'this is the house that Jack built' with a tropical flavor. Its vivid, yet soft pastel illustrations are the kind to draw your young ones to pick up the book on their own.

The Rice Bag Hammock feels like one we would have had in our picture book collection when my kids were little. It's the perfect bedtime story—short, with a calming affirmation of the rhythm of life.

One of the quotes this Goodreads author has on her profile is from Gandhi, "In a gentle way you can shake the world." Her book reflects that gentleness while transporting you to her tropical homeland. Few of us will have a chance to visit this wonderful place...except in Shaeeza's book."

What are your favorite picture books? Do you have some old favorites that you enjoyed (or still enjoy) with your children? Do you know of some new ones you'd recommend? 

Read an excerpt from Guardian Cats with a cool widget

Tool Review: I like widget-y things, so I was happy to find this one from BookBuzzr.
Try it out and let me know what you think.