Book Review: Everwud – The Tree, The Boy & The Dog by Marilyn Dieckmann

Hi all,

I first met Marilyn Dieckmann, the author of Everwud, online on Twitter and Facebook, and was surprised to learn she lives not too far from me up here in the North Country. Although we have never met, I feel as if I know her like a friend, and I couldn't resist reading her novel. I'm so happy I did, it is as enchanting as I hoped it would be. Here is more about her novel and my review.

 

 Everwud - The Tree, The Boy & The Dog

Marilyn Dieckmann

 

Book Description:

Life isn't always fair, and if you're an orphan it’s probably worse.

Well, Joey is an orphan. His world is totally turned upside down the moment he sees a shaggy dog in the window at the animal shelter and exchanges a wagon-load of pop bottles for the dog.

But life is never that simple. Dogs are not allowed at the orphanage and a deal is made with Mister Tim, the kind man at the animal shelter that ultimately changes his life.

With his new friends, Joey rescues a fellow orphan from scoundrels who use an adoption scheme to gain cheap labor. and unlocks the secret to his birth. He discovers his mom is in fact a wood elf, and she was sucked back into her world the day he was born.

But that’s not all… there's magic too. Joey is the direct descendant of the mage of EVERWUD and will inherit pure magic one day.

Life couldn’t possibly have more surprises in store for Joey… or could it?

EVERWUD… where adventure begins.

 

Buy Everwud – The Tree, The Boy & The Dog on:

Amazon Kindle $0.99

 

Buy Everwud – Book Two – Castles, Clowns & Potions:

Amazon Kindle $1.99

 

My 5 Star Review:

I decided to read Everwud – The Tree, The Boy & The Dog by Marilyn Dieckmann, even though I knew it was geared toward children, because of all the intriguing Tweets Marilyn passed along on Twitter. She made it sound enchanting, magical, and lovely. And it is. From the very first paragraph, Marilyn had me hooked. She drew me into the story before I even realized what was happening. I had to know what happened next, and next, and next.

Everwud is not only a magical story, it is also fun and full of adventure. You can't help but like the main character, Joey, right away. He's such a typical boy, yet he really isn't, we soon learn. When Joey befriends a furry companion his life changes. He is caught up in an adventure he can hardly believe is happening to him. And he soon learns more about the parents he has never known and that he wasn't completely abandoned after all.

I would recommend Everwud to children ages eight and up. It's perfect for reading to your child at bedtime, for older children to read to themselves, or for adults looking for a little magic. And the best part about Everwud is it doesn't end with the first book. There are two more in the series.

 

 

About Marilyn Dieckmann:

To give credit where credit is due... I would say it was my husband's idea for me to write a book. I absolutely LOVE to read, and devour books every chance I get. The fact that I create magical fairy houses and make up stories for the inhabitants... well, it seemed like a natural step to take. I've made over 78 fairy houses and writing has now become a passion.
http://www.weetreehome.com

I'm a wife, mom, grandma and chocolate lover. Chocolate covered cherries are my all-time favorite candy, but any chocolate will do in a pinch!
Wine taster fits in here too!
I dream in full color and never ever think inside the box. As a matter of fact I don't think I own one of those box thingies.

We live in northern Minnesota where the seasons are well defined... winter and summer, with a brief glimpse of spring and fall in between. Our garden is spectacular even though the season is so short.

I've been a student, house painter, waitress, teacher (2 degrees), care-giver and worked in a lumber mill. However, like I told my sons... it's not necessarily what you do for a living (the job that pays the bills) that defines who you are.
It's what you do that brings you JOY.

My epitaph will read... she LOVED her family well!

 

Connect with Marilyn on:

 

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

 

I hope you will read Everwud to your favorite little adventurer!

 

Cheers,

Deanna

Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop & Giveaway

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to tell you about the children's book blog hop we have going on this weekend. The Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop & Giveaway is going on December 7th - 10th. Many wonderful children's and middle-grade authors are participating, giving away some great prizes. There is also going to be a Grand Prize of a $30 Amazon Gift Card - and all you have to do to win is leave a comment on the participating blogs.

I will be giving away two paperback copies of my children's/MG action/adventure novel, Outlaw Heroes. These would make a fun Christmas gift to kids ages 10 and up. Be sure to stop by my blog and leave a comment to enter the contest.

Follow the list below to visit all the sites. Have fun hopping!

Good luck and happy hopping!
Deanna

Lionel's Christmas Adventure Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Hi all,

Today I am hosting a character interview with Lionel of those wonderful children's books by Paul R. Hewlett. Lionel has a new Christmas book out that I'm sure your children will enjoy. There is also a Giveaway at the end - so be sure to enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! So, on to the interview...

First, let me thank Deanna for having me and Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer for hosting the Got Great Giveaways Hop. Thanks also go to Candace at Candace's Book Blog and Lori at Pure Imagination for hosting the Saturday Situation Giveaway linky. This is the tenth stop on my blog tour for the release of Lionel's Christmas Adventure. To see a full list of tour dates, click here.
Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $25
Amazon gift card and a 3-pack of my ebooks.



Recently I sat down with Lionel Snodgrass of Lionel's Christmas Adventure for an interview. I wanted to talk to Lionel about himself. I wanted to get him to open up and tell some real personal things, things we don't already know about him. If you're not familiar with the book please watch the trailer below.



Now for the interview. Let me start by saying that I had to not only go to Larrystown, but also back in time a bit. You see, Lionel's Christmas Adventure is set in the late 1960's. I met Lionel at Jardean's Mercantile & Confectionery.  I'm sitting in an old fashioned booth directly across from Lionel. Mr. Jardean brings Lionel a cherry coke (his favorite) and me a green river soda (my favorite).

Hey Lionel, it's good to see you again. Lets' get started, tell me one thing that most folks don't know about you.

Hmmm, let's see. I bet most people don't know that I'm afraid of the boogie man. He looks around nervously and swears me to secrecy. One time, before we moved to Larrystown, my Mom took me trick-or-treating. It was a blast, I had a great time. It was hard for me to fall asleep, I had eaten too much candy and was still pretty excited. Besides that I kept hearing a noise coming from my closet. I tried not to let it bother me, 'cause Feeney always calls me a scardy cat. Finally, I had to see what it was. I peeked in and a monster jumped out at me!

A monster?

Well, no, it turned out to be Feeney dressed up like a ghoul. Scared me to death though. I still need a light on. I can't help it, I'm still scared. You're not gonna tell anyone about this are you?



No, no, I won't. What else don't we know about Lionel Snodgrass?

I figure nobody knows I have a magical Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot. No sir, that I have always made sure to keep a secret and I plan to keep it that way.


Can you tell us what exactly that is? This, this Walbaun foot?

Sure. I found it in my room when I first moved here. Just sitting on the closet shelf, plain as day. It wasn't 'til one day I was sitting right here, in this very spot, that I knew what it was I had found. Lionel leans in to whisper. Mr. Jardean, he's like the town know-it-all. He knows everything that ever happened around here. I overheard him that day talking to himself and I thought it sounded a lot like my Walbaun foot. So I asked him about it.


So Mr. Jardean knows about it?

No, no. I didn't tell I found one. I just asked him and then once he explained, I knew I had found one. It's invisible except to those that are mistreated. I figure that's why I could see it and nobody else did. Lots of times, I get treated real bad. It's supposed to make what I wish for come true. It was lazy though and it never gets things quite right. When I use it, look out. You never know what might happen!


Is there anything else that you'd like to share? A secret, something no one knows 
about you?

Just one thing. My buddy Skip knows this, but nobody else does. I have a gigantic crush on Carrie! Wow, I never told anybody that. Skip, he just kind of figured it out. I guess that happens when you're buddies like we are. It feels kind of good to get that off of my chest. I don't think she knows I exist though.


What do you mean?

Every time I'm around her, I kind of freeze up. I'm always thinking of something cool or funny to say to her when I get the chance and then POW! My mouth feels like it's glued shut when she's around. Hard as I try, no words come out. Oh well, I'm gonna keep trying.


Well, I suppose that about wraps things up. Thanks Lionel. Hey, do mind if I put the part about the boogie man in the interview. I won't if you don't want me to, but I think it's something people might want to know. I also think maybe, you should think about getting Carrie a Christmas present this year. Maybe that would break the ice.

Yeah, I guess. Go ahead. I don't mind if you put it in. A Christmas present huh? That's not a bad idea. Thanks, thanks a lot, oh and Merry Christmas!



I hope you enjoyed the interview and learned a few things about Lionel to get to know him better. He's really a great kid. Lionel's Christmas Adventure (in paperback or ebook) is the third book in the Lionel's Grand Adventure series. If you want more Lionel check out Lionel and the Golden Rule and Lionel Turns the Other Cheek. Now for Lionel's Christmas Adventure blurb:



Have you ever wanted something you couldn't have? Lionel desperately
wants a new sled and will do anything to get it.This fun Christmas book
follows Lionel from Larrystown to the North Pole. His magical
Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot is back and is as unpredictable as
ever. Whether Lionel's sledding,  ice skating, or in a life-sized
gingerbread village, it takes him on some grand adventures. Filled with
great Christmas imagery, this book is perfect for young readers
and family story time. This 2012 holiday, be careful what you wish for,
you never know what might happen!



For more information about author Paul R. Hewlett click here. Hi co-authors a middlegrade/YA blog at SherAHart: My Written Art. You can also keep up with what's new on Lionel's Grand Adventure FB page.



I'd like to give a great big Thank You to Deanna for hosting me! My next stop is Thursday at This Kid Erik's blog.  Now on to the giveaway. As a thank you to the reader's, I'm  giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and 3-pack of my ebooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

>

Join the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Hi all,

On December 7th - 10th I am hosting a blog hop for children's and middle-grade books and I'd love it if you all join me. If you are a children's or middle-grade book author or blogger, I invite you to sign up and participate. Each of the authors or bloggers will be giving away a prize on their blogs and we will also be having a grand prize (depending upon how much money is donated) that followers can enter to win. It should be a lot of fun and it's a great way to get your children's book noticed.

If you are interested in joining the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop, you can go over to my Outlaw Heroes blog to read the rules and sign up on the Linky or you can do so here. Here is he information about the blog hop and the Linky sign-up below:

Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop & Giveaway!

 

I'm inviting all children & middle-grade book authors to join in on the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop which will run December 7^th – 10^th. This blog hop is for any author promoting a book for kids ages birth to 12 years old. All types of children's & middle-grade books are welcome as long as they are suitable for this age range.

What you need to do:

 

1. Add your blog's name and your blog URL address to the Linky at the bottom of the page to join in on the Blog Hop. You don't have to have a post link yet – just use your blog's URL.

 

2. Please copy and paste the above Blog Hop button onto your blog's sidebar and connect it to the following link to promote the blog ahead of time.  http://www.outlawheroes.com/p/kids-books-holiday-blog-hop.html

 

3. Plan to give away some type of prize – a copy of the book you are promoting, gift card, bookmarks or anything that is appropriate for a kid's blog hop. It doesn't have to be expensive; it is an incentive to get hoppers to visit your blog. You are in charge of your giveaway and selecting a winner. (For the Grand Prize, see below, I'll be sending out information to you before the hop to let you know what it is so you can include it in your post.)

 

4. Write a short post that is somehow related to kids and the holidays. It can be about how you and your family celebrate, a cute family story (Rated PG), a favorite holiday tradition – whatever you like as long as it is suitable for all ages. Please include the Blog Hop Button at the top of your post so hoppers identify your post right away. And don't forget to promote your book after the post or somehow tie it into the post. (Short promos for your book are best – if it's too long then people may ignore it completely.) Keep in mind that parents will probably be following this blog hop in order to find books for their kids as holiday gifts.

 

5. Add the Linky Code to the bottom of your blog post so people can continue to follow the list of authors in the hop. Blogger/blogspot sites can add it right to the bottom under HTML.                                          

 

<!-- start LinkyTools script -->

<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=170262" type="text/javascript"></script>

<!-- end LinkyTools script -->

                                                                                                                                          

**WordPress blogs are unable to add the Linky code so you can link back to my site page here: http://www.outlawheroes.com **

 

6. Make sure your post is up by 10:00 AM Central Time on Dec. 7^th. I will be going down the list and visiting each blog to make sure a post is up. If it isn't, I'll be deleting that blog from the Linky List so blog hoppers won't get discouraged.

 

7. Promote your post & giveaway on all the social media sites. The Twitter hash tag we will be using for this blog hop is #KidsBlogHop.  Promotion is key in getting as many people to your site as possible.

 

8. Be sure to have your post visible in some way for the entire four days of the hop. Link it to the blog hop button or some other way so hoppers can find it.

Grand Prize Giveaway

I would love to have Grand Prize Giveaway if possible – it helps to draw in more followers to the blog hop. I'm thinking some type of Kindle or Nook – depending upon how much money I can raise. If not, then whatever money I receive will go toward an Amazon Gift Card. All comments left on all the blogs in the hop will be entered in to win the Grand Prize.

If you'd like to donate money toward the main Grand Prize, please send $5 or $10 to my PayPal account and I'll use it to buy the prize. ALL MONEY WILL BE USED FOR THE PRIZE. Use the email address: sletten@paulbunyan.net  to send money – be sure to mark it as a "GIFT" so no money is deducted as a fee. Also, mention in the comment section that the money is for the Kid's Books Holiday Blog Hop and include your name. Thanks so much!

A week before the blog I will send out an email to everyone reminding them of the blog hop and telling you what the Grand Prize will be and how the hoppers can win it.

Thanks everyone – I hope we get a big turnout of authors and hoppers for this blog hop!

 Cheers,

Deanna

Book Review: Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student by Ann Swann

Hi all,

(This post has been modified 4/10/13 to reflect the republishing of Ann Swann's novel.)

Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student is book two in the Phantom Series by Ann Swann. You can read my review of the first book, The Phantom Pilot, here. I loved the first book, and Ann generously sent me a paperback copy of this second book to read in advance. I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first one. Below is my review of Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student. It is currently available. These books can stand alone too, so you don't have to read them in order - but I think it is better if you do!

Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student

Cover by Tugboat Design

Ann Swann


My Five Star Review:

Stevie and Jase befriend the new kid in school, Derol Pavey who has Tourette Syndrome, and soon strange things begin to happen. A little ghostly girl begins haunting Stevie and the kids wonder if she is somehow connected to Derol's arrival. Soon, the kids are involved in a tangled web of the past, bullying, and the consequences of mistreating those who are different.

The Phantom Student is book two in The Phantom Series by Ann Swann. We met Stevie and Jase in book one, The Phantom Pilot, and now we follow them on this new adventure. This is a wonderful book that holds your attention from the first page to the last. Ms Swann has a beautiful way with words and captivates her audience with her excellence in writing. I thoroughly enjoyed The Phantom Student and can't wait for book three in the series.

Buy the Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student:

Amazon Kindle

You can purchase the first book in the series - Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot - at:

Amazon Kindle

 

About the Author:

Ann Swann was born in the small West Texas town of Lamesa. She grew up much like Stevie-girl in Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, though she never got up the nerve to enter the haunted house. Ann has done everything from answering 911 Emergency calls to teaching elementary school. She still lives in West Texas with her husband, Dude, two rescue dogs, and one rescue cat who rules the roost.

Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student, Book 2 of The Phantom series, will be published in October, 2012. Her story, Soul Gardener, is in the anthology, Timeless. And her new stories, Skeleton Rock, and The Blister Bear, will be included in Campfire Tales (which should be out in September). You may visit Ann at Annswann.blogspot.com where there are even more stories to read!

Connect with Ann:

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Twitter: @Ann_Swann

Hope you all get a chance to enjoy Ann's books. She also has a brand new romance novel coming out August 23rd titled "All For Love". You can find out more about it on Goodreads.

Cheers,
Deanna

Pleased with the Results of My FREE Days for Outlaw Heroes

Hi all,

Outlaw Heroes #6 in Free Children's Fiction.

If you read this blog, you know that I had three FREE days on Amazon for my children's ebook, Outlaw Heroes, on March 14-16^th. I must say, I am pleasantly surprised, and very pleased, with the results of those days. I went into it, already a veteran of Amazon Free days with my book,Memories, not expecting huge numbers of downloads. And while I didn't experiences one of those 10,000 plus download days, I do think that Outlaw Heroes did very well.

The Stats and Numbers

I'm not going to go into major detail about my free days' numbers (don't want to bore you) but I'll just give you a few numbers to get an idea on how the days went. Before the free days started, this is how Outlaw Heroes ranked on Amazon:

     Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,478 Paid in Kindle Store 

#18 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Historical Fiction > United  
States > Westerns

Near the end of the free days – I did have to finally go to sleep – here is how Outlaw Heroes ranked on Amazon:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Children's eBooks > History & Historical Fiction

#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Children's Fiction > Historical Fiction > United States > Westerns

#6 Children's Fiction
#16 Children's E-Books
#1 in Middle-Grade Fiction
#1 in Action Fiction

As you can see, I got very close to hitting the top 100 in the Free Kindle Store – I just didn't do quite well enough to make it. But that is okay, because I feel like I did very well with my children's novel.

The total number of downloads for Outlaw Heroes for the three days went as follows:

·         3,342 for the U.S.

·         17 for the U.K.

·         5 for D.E.

·         1 for France

My best numbers were in the last day on Friday – between 4:30 PM and 11:00 PM, over 1,000 copies of Outlaws was downloaded. It as really fun to see that number shoot up!

Did the FREE Days Help My eBook?

I do believe that the free days did indeed help my book go from almost obscurity up within the ranks of other children's books so that now it is being seen regularly on Amazon. That is really what the free days are all about – improving your rank on Amazon so you will hopefully stay high and sell more books. Today is the first day back to paid sales and although I am not making a killing, I have sold a few books so far and my ranking is improving with each sale. Outlaw Heroes would not have been seen by this many people if it hadn't been for the free days, so I think they do make a big difference.

What These Numbers Also Tell Me

The fact that this fun little adventure novel for kids did so well with free downloads tells me that parents are still looking for a good book for their children to read that doesn't have sex, innuendo, violence or even witches, wizards, vampires or zombies. A few years ago, when I was shopping this book around to agents and publishers, no one was interested because it was not on trend with what was being marketed to kids at the time. In other words, it was not the next Harry Potter or Twilight series, so therefore it was irrelevant. Nothing against Harry or Bella – I loved the Harry Potter series as much as the next mom – but I really believed there was room in the publishing world for a one-time, fun adventure book as well as those powerful series'. So it makes me feel good that so many people wanted to download this children's books, and hopefully they will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

I want to send out a big Thank You to everyone who helped me promote my FREE days for Outlaw Heroes and to all my Twitter Followers who so kindly re-tweeted my many, many tweets about the promotion. I couldn't have had a successful promotion without everyone's help.

Cheers,

Deanna

Outlaw Heroes - FREE Days March 14th - 16th!

Cover created by Tugboat Design

Hi all,

Well, after weeks of e-mailing site after site I have finally liberated my children's ebook, Outlaw Heroes from Smashwords and their partner sites and am now able to add it to the KDP Select program on Amazon. I've set the FREE Days for Outlaw Heroes for Wednesday - Friday, March 14th - 16th. If you are looking for a fun adventure book for your child to read (vampire free) then be sure to mark your calendar to download this ebook. Outlaw Heroes is a fiction, action/adventure novel for children ages 10 and up.

Here is a description of the book:

Outlaw Heroes

Twelve-year old Will Long loves the old west and his favorite stories are ones about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. When he was younger, Will and his father watched old western movies together and read books about old-time outlaws and lawmen. His father worked on a ranch and he and Will would ride horses together, rope cattle and attend rodeos. Unfortunately, this all ended the day his dad died suddenly and Will and his mother had to leave the ranch and move into town. After three years, Will still struggles with the death of his father and is having trouble accepting the new man in his mother’s life.

Will and his mother head west to Spokane, Washington on an Amtrak train to attend a family reunion and the one-hundredth birthday celebration for his great-grandmother. During the train ride, Will is suddenly awakened to find he’s been transported back in time and the train is being robbed by none other than Butch and Sundance. Will joins in with the outlaws and jumps at the chance to follow along with them despite Sundance's protests. Will follows the outlaws on some of their most famous robberies and also gets to meet the infamous Etta Place, Sundance's wife. But when a bank robbery goes sour, Will begins to wonder if being an outlaw is as exciting as he’d once thought.

Join Will as he learns life lessons along the way and discovers a family secret that has been hidden for decades.

I hope you get a chance to download this book on its FREE days. Many adults have also read it and enjoyed it too!

Cheers,
Deanna