The Big Cheese Festival eBook is #FREE for three days August 5th through 7th! Grab your copy today and help children build their self-esteem!

There are issues that plague all children as they grow up. Each child struggles with identifying who they are as a person, how they relate to other people and how to find out what they believe in. Children can be cruel to each other while they learn how to navigate the messy world of emotions. This can come out in the form of bullying. In The Big Cheese Festival the authors explore the concept of bullying and how it can impact the life of another. What may seem like funny and harmless words to one can truly hurt another. We’ve got a fantastical world of anthropomorphic mice, one of whom only has half a tail. He is named Stubby and due to the unkind bullying from his brother’s friend worries about whether or not he’ll find any worth in himself.

Bullying is a big issue to tackle. Some children’s books try to address this and drop the ball completely. Jackson and Raymond have bundled up the idea of bullying in their book. They take an obvious difference, like having half of a tail, and use it to illustrate how others might react to something so clearly different from the norm. It’s a cute book with the little mice getting ready for a festival. Cutter Mouse, who is friends with Stubby’s brother, is the perpetrator or of the bullying. It is often someone close to the bullied who begins the abuse, which Jackson and Raymond have captured here.

http://tinyurl.com/jhyj8cn #kidlit #RRBC #IARTG #ChildrensBooks #parenting #ASMSG #RPBP @MaryLSchmidt #IAN1

I just finished A Dog Named Derf by Raven H. Price and my review follows the authors book blurb found on Amazon.

“Derf has a mission. He wants to share with everyone, young and old, how a loving Creator along with the Holy Spirit rescued him as a puppy and gave him a wonderful life.
He was blessed with a loving home and two wonderful human parents, an extended human family and five cats.
With Daddy Ralph, his parent, and best friend. Derf spends twelve short years enjoying fellowship, going on adventures and watching over those they loved
Allow Derf to tell his amazing story of salvation, love, overcoming trials and learning not to fear even death and loss.”

This was an endearing read for me and is a great read for the entire family. I loved how the story was told from the dog, Derf, point of view. The whole gamut of emotions is felt right from the beginning with Derf losing two sibling puppies, and happiness follows this sorrow. I dislike thinking of all the animals that fend for themselves in a cold and vicious reality of the needs for food and shelter. Price brings the Holy Spirit into this short story and that is comforting. Derf was loved by Price and her husband, and when you lose a pet it is a difficult thing to deal with. Some say it is like losing a child, but that it is not. Having lost lifelong pets and two children, I know how much harder child loss is in real life. I cried buckets over losing my pets as well. Due to grammar and editing issues, I can only give four stars at this time. Upon being edited, I will adjust my review accordingly.  

The Good Teacher: Women of Willow Wood Book 1 by Lorraine Carey.

I just finished reading this book and my review follows the authors book blurb found on Amazon.

“When first-year teacher Daniella Reyes starts teaching at a new school she is frightened by the crows that follow her everywhere. As a woman with highly empathic abilities and the victim of child abuse, she is tuned to pick up the vibes from abused children in her classroom. She’s desperate to help them while trying to cling to a normal life with Luke. As she slowly discovers the secrets of a powerful, ancient cult, and New Mexico’s hidden world opens up to her, she finds that her life is anything but normal. She must make a life-altering sacrifice if she wants to save the children, her father’s soul, and her own life.

This paranormal thriller is book 1 of Women of the Willow Wood.”

When suspense is woven around darkness, supernatural, emotional abuse, mixed with engaging characters makes The Good Teacher a great read! I thought the heroine (Dani) was somewhat into herself looks wise and that created a sensual feeling for the romance lovers. The protagonist starts off her first full year of teaching in a school in New Mexico. Dani had no idea of the huge impact the school year would have on her life. One teacher is friendly and fun, mixed with a principal who was rather evil, and then paranormal things start happening. Dani relieves her own abusive childhood, and her new students are important to her, especially the ones who are suffering abuse. A fun read all around. Needs slight edits done, a five star book.

Forbidden Forest

Coastal Sunset 

Haunted Hearts by Kim Cox

I just finished reading this book by Kim Cox and my review follows the author’s book blurb found on Amazon.

“Lana Malloy is trying to get her new private investigator business off the ground, but she’s no ordinary investigator. She has paranormal gifts and abilities that guide her. Her great aunt, who has been dead for twenty years, offers to be her first client.

At first, Tony Calabria doesn’t want to help Lana solve her aunt’s murder since his family considers Lucy the reason for his own grandfather’s death. But his grandfather disagrees and is eager for his murderer to be found.

Together, Lana, Tony and the ghosts work out a plan where the guilty party will be begging to confess.

Will Lana Malloy solve the twenty-year-old double murder of her great aunt and her great aunt’s fiancé by Memorial Day? If she can, they’ll spend eternity together; if she can’t, they’ll be stuck as Haunted Hearts for another year.”

Haunted Hearts is the first book in a series, and introduces readers to a female detective, Lana Malloy. Lana Malloy has gifts, she can see spirits and hear spirits, and her abilities increase throughout this wonderfully woven story of suspense, murder and mystery. Not having read a mystery in I don’t know how long, I was thrilled with this paranormal mystery.

Cox has written a five star book with a great plot, funny, and love thrown in for good measure. Even with very few grammar/spelling issues, this is a five star book!

Paper in the Wind: Peeling back the lifespan of autism by Olivia Mason-Charles is my reviewed book for today. 

First the author’s blurb found on Amazon, “Paper in the Wind is a compassionate and riveting story depicting a single father’s dedication to his daughter. In the midst of the overwhelming struggles that accompanied autism, he continues to persevere. Her father’s love enabled her to overcome insurmountable obstacles, discovered the power of love and embraced the gift of life.”

This is a short read and the story deals with autism using a father and daughter approach. Initially I thought it was a memoir, but no, it’s not. As a registered nurse, and having worked with most all spectrum of illness such as autism, some of the ideas used help children with the disease, depending on severity. I found the differentiation lacking, but overall an inspirational short read. I found the entire story false in many ways, and I think the author should add in her blurb that this is a work of fiction. I also think that if she actually used things that happened in her own child’s life, the book would make for a better read. Breaking out Grey Goose each time there was a get together for the fathers, with the children playing is poor parenting. I don’t believe anybody would just sleep on the floor of the child’s room. They would use at least an air mattress as the money was there for that, especially when considering said child was given a credit card for school clothes that rang up a bill of $7,000. Every page and just about every paragraph needs serious editing, and the story is shallow and false.

Snugs the Snow Bear by Suzy Davies

I finished reading this book yesterday and my review follows Davis’ book blurb found on Amazon.

“Snugs The Snow Bear” is the first in a magical series of stories about a lovable, snuggable, huggable polar bear, and his tales of derring-do, along with a menagerie of animal friends. Come and meet Snugs, The Two Moose, Mrs Merryweather, Carla and James, as they take the voyage of a lifetime to a lighthouse on The Isle of Wight, a sunshine island off the South Coast of England, and miles and miles beyond! This first adventure will warm your heart as Snugs, in his own unique way, leaves a radiant, magical impression, especially on one little boy and girl.”

Snugs is a polar bear who floats away from home on a small iceberg. As his journey and story evolves, more magical animals are woven into the narrative. I liked how the reality (Northern Lights, etc.) and the magical portion blended so well.  This adventure fit Snugs to a T. A few words were more than a younger child could understand, but this enables children the ability to speak with their parents, librarian, etc. on areas they don’t understand fully. Amid the narrative, some illustrations are found, and they are cute. A huge mistake that I must comment about is the fact that the narrative related the twelve days of Christmas being the twelve days leading up to Christmas Day, when, in fact, the twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days after Christmas Day. For this reason alone, I must give Snugs the Snow Bear four stars. If at some point the story is edited and corrected regarding the twelve days of Christmas, I will revise to five stars.

Scenic – this one is a digital painting. 

Earth – photograph

Misty Morning ~ photograph

Waterscape ~ traditional painting

Thank you for taking the time to look at my attempts to express myself artistically.

Gallery Link