One of the hardest things for me is writing detailed descriptions of houses. Part of it is that I’m impatient by nature and I tend to gloss over long descriptions when reading. But part of it is also that it can be hard to write a nice description of a house without knowledge of the […]

Parts Of A House With Names You Probably Didn’t Know — Nicholas C. Rossis

on Publishing… and Other Forms of Insanity: This October there are more than two dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to completed novels. Prizes range from $25,000 to publication. None charge entry fees. Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the instructions carefully. […]

31 Writing Contests in October 2020 – No entry fees – by Erica Verrillo… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

From Amazon: When little white kitty, Mulan, escapes under a fence, she begins her exciting adventure, but soon discovers that she is lost and misses her family. How will she get home? Enjoy this heartwarming true story and follow the Adventures of Simon & Mulan, two adorable Siamese shelter kitties as they explore their new home and world in Nina’s Cat Tales.

My Review: Mulan’s Big Adventure is a book that melted my heart. Wow, the story and the rhyming, the darling pictures, the poetry superb, perfect in teaching little ones, little kids, to dream but not wander away from home. Five stars all the way!

Will you let your child use social media? Do you know the impact of social media on students? 6 advantages and 8 disadvantages of social media on students

14 Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media: What You Need to Know — Mostly Blogging

It’s been 15 months and 21 days since my husband passed away. Some of us like to think that after a year, the grieving is done. Well, I’m here to tell you that it isn’t. I’m better, no doubt. I’ve come a long way since those painful days right after he passed. I was in […]

Lifef After Death — Wanda Luthman’s Children’s Books

on Helping Writers become Authors: What are the steps to self-publish your book? The modern boom of independent publishing has put the power to publish in the hands of authors—if they choose to use it. But even once you’ve decided in favor of the indie route over the traditional path of soliciting agents and pitching […]

15 Steps to Self-Publish Your Book – by K.M. Weiland… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

on Live Write Thrive: Writing is your passion. You spend hours dreaming up the perfect characters and their marvelous adventures, months writing the first draft, and weeks rewriting, editing, and tweaking your work. All your friends and family have read your manuscript, and they absolutely love it. You are at the point where you are […]

How to Overcome Discouragement as an Author – by Emma Eggleston… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

Finally, an eBook link for this new book! $2.99 This enchanting fairy tale, Shadow and Friends Meet Mr. Rabbit, brings forth children’s vivid imaginations as they read about the adventures of Shadow and her friends meeting Mr. Rabbit and his family. Children learn how squirrels and rabbits react and play together in real life, and in fairy tale life in a game of Hopscotch. Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit speak, and Baby Rabbit has a pacifier in his mouth that children will laugh and find enchanting. The rabbits are “wacky” rabbits as they are not the typical looking bunny rabbits, since they are dressed and have fun expressions on their faces. More fun ensues as they decorate eggs for Easter and two baby chicks stop by to say hello. As this children’s picture book is Christian themed, children learn about Jesus and how Easter came about in real life, near the end of the story, and in a manner that young children will understand. A young child knows about death from an early age and reading to or with them about the greatest story ever told is loving and heartwarming. Children learn that we will see our loved ones again, and Easter means that there is life after we die, and that death is not scary at all.

The Adventure of Ollie Orangutan by Larry Landgraf

Found on Amazon:

In the beginning, all animals were born wild and free. Ollie, however, was born in a cage and has spent his entire life in a zoo. Everything he knew, he learned from his mother and through the bars of his confinement. His life was totally dependent upon humans. He always had plenty to eat and it was fun watching the humans who visited daily, especially the little ones. Life was comfortable and Ollie grew up soft.

But as fate would have it, that is all going to change. Ollie is thrown into a completely new environment of which he knows nothing. Ollie will have to learn new things in order to survive without the help of humans. He will make new friends, but the real world is wild. He will also find those who would hurt him. Can he toughen up and make a new life for himself? 

My Review:

I found this to be a charming and delightful short story for kids. Ollie Orangutan ends up in a swamp after a train derailment. The ensuing story speaks of a lot, including the differences between wildlife, domestic animals, and those in a zoo, and how they source their food and shelter. Despite numerous pitfalls along the way, Ollie survives, gains three new friends, and ends up in a loving new home. Five stars!

on Fiction University: Getting Personal If you are not comfortable tooting your own horn, welcome to the club. Writers tend to be introverts by nature. Most of us do not like drawing attention to ourselves. In fact, give us a quiet corner in an empty house for hours on end, and we’d be quite content […]

Successful Self-Publishing: Build Your Brand – by Laurisa White Reyes… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog