BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Showing posts with label CBB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBB. Show all posts

Monday, January 11, 2016

Excerpt, Giveaway & Review: On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander

Excerpt, Giveaway, Review, On Thin Icing, Ellie Alexander

Excerpt, Giveaway, Review, On Thin Icing, Ellie Alexander, Bea's Book Nook
Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #3
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: December 29, 2015
Challenges: Finishing the Series Reading ChallengeNetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*  | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the treats are killer good.

It's the dead of winter in the sleepy town of Ashland, which means no tourists-and fewer customers-for Jules Capshaw and her bakery. But when she's asked to cater an off-season retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, business starts heating up...until Jules finds a dead body in the freezer.

"An intriguing new series."-Reader to Reader

Someone at the retreat has apparently iced the bartender, a well-known flirt with a legendary temper-that is, before a killer beat him to the punch. Then, from out of nowhere, Jules's own ex-husband shows up at the shop-and soon becomes a suspect. With accusations piling up higher than the snow-and thicker than a chocolate mousse cake-Jules has to think outside the (recipe) box to find the real culprit...and make sure he gets his just desserts.

"A delectable tale of murder and intrigue."-Portland Book Review on Meet Your Baker

Friday, December 18, 2015

Giveaway & Review: Sock Monster by Stacey R. Campbell, Illustrated by Elizabeth Thieme



Publisher: Green Darner Press
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 15, 2015 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe*/OmniLit* | Smashwords*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

When Billy refuses to pick up his clothes the sock monster comes to teach him a lesson.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Steph's Review of The Network Series by Katie Cross


Publisher: Antebellum Publishing
Series: Network Series #1
Format Read: E-Book
Source: From the pr firm in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 21, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Smashwords*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.

Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.

Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?

Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Review & Giveaway of A Batter of Life and Death by Ellie Alexander


Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #2
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: June 30, 2015
Challenges: COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt | Cruisin' Through the CoziesFinishing the Series | NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Welcome to Torte-a small-town family bakeshop where the coffee is hot, the muffins are fresh, and the cakes are definitely to die for...

It's autumn in Ashland, Oregon-'tis the season for a spiced hot apple cider with a serving (or two) of Torte's famous peach cobbler. It's also the perfect time for Jules Capshaw to promote her family's beloved bake shop by competing in The Pastry Channel's reality show, Take the Cake. The prize is $25,000. But as Jules quickly learns, some people would kill for that kind of dough. Literally.

Then, just as Jules dusts off her Bavarian Chocolate Cake recipe and cinches up her apron, the corpse of a fellow contestant is discovered-death by buttercream. What began as a fun, tasteful televised adventure has morphed into something of a true-crime detective show for Jules and everybody else on set. Who could have killed Chef Marco, and why? Can Jules sift out the killer before someone else gets burned?

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Blog Tour Review And Giveaway of Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander


Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Series: A Bakeshop Mystery #1
Format Read: eGalley
Source: from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Reading Challenges: Cruisin' Through the Cozies 2015, NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2015
Release Date: December 30, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the treats are so good that, sometimes, it’s criminal…


After graduating from culinary school, Juliet Capshaw returns to her quaint hometown of Ashland, Oregon, to heal a broken heart and help her mom at the family bakery. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is bringing in lots of tourists looking for some crumpets to go with their heroic couplets. But when one of Torte’s customers turns up dead, there’s much ado about murder…


"Sure to satisfy both dedicated foodies and ardent mystery lovers alike."

--Jessie Crockett, author of Drizzled with Death

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Blog Tour: Giveaway, Guest Post & Review of Call of the Herald by Brian Rathbone



Welcome to my stop on the Godsland series blog tour! This is a YA epic/high fantasy adventure series by Brian Rathbone. The tour consists of reviews of all of the books and the audiobook, as well as guest posts, interviews and more. Be sure to check out the tour page with all the tour information and additional tour stops.

The books in the Godsland series:

Call of the Herald (Book One) - FREE
Inherited Danger (Book Two)- FREE
Dragon Ore (Book Three) - 2.99US

You can also find it in one bind up called The Dawning of Power Trilogy Omnibus. Find the full list of titles and links at http://brianrathbone.com/ as this is only the first trilogy in the World of Godsland series.

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Publisher: White Wolf Press
Series: The Dawning of Power Trilogy #1
Format Read: Kindle book
Source: tour company in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 2008
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission for purchases made through these links. 

Blurb from the author: 

Echoes of the ancients' power are distant memories, tattered and faded by the passage of eons, but that is about to change. A new dawn has arrived. Latent abilities, harbored in mankind's deepest fibers, wait to be unleashed. Ancient evils awaken, and old fears ignite the fires of war. When a Catrin Volker, a teenage horse trainer, inadvertently fulfills the prophecy of the destroyer, she becomes the most feared and hunted person on all of Godsland. With the help of her friends, she must convince the world that she wants only peace.



Sunday, May 12, 2013

Mother Sea Turtle Month! Win a book or Sea Turtle Plushies!


Stephanie Lisa Tara presents Mother Sea Turtle month!  Mothers need to stick together; whether scaly, feathered, furry or skinned! And to celebrate this Mother's Day and the release of her newest turtle book, Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book—which is the companion follow-up to her first international bestseller, I'll Follow the Moon—Stephanie Lisa Tara is giving away 2 gorgeous, large plush sea turtles (26"L x 8"H x 16"W) to reviewers!



 Dear Turtle Activists,

I want to thank each and every one of you for your tireless dedication and love to our cause! I have written this book FOR YOU! I dedicate this book TO YOU! 120 pages of fotos, facts and fun!

Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book has a primary goal: SAVING SEA TURTLES FROM EXTINCTION. A portion of proceeds from this book go to charitable organizations like the Turtle Foundation (www.turtle-foundation.org) of whom my first turtle book, I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON—is a proud sponsor.

If you are new to us—please join with us, for together, holding hands, we can effect change. Yes—really! xoxo. SAVE GREEN SEA TURTLES on Facebook (www.facebook.com/.../Save-Green-Sea-T...) is our hugely popular hang-out—tens of thousands of Activists-strong. Please join us!

NOW—prepare for something totally new and amazing!

Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book is not your typical scientific turtle book: my special book is all about having FUN! Enjoy the mini FLIP-BOOK in the corners and create a movie of your own! Click the ebook pages—or thumb through manually in the paperback—YOUR CHOICE!

I've written these chapters in a fun, chatty voice—you know, the one YOU use when talking up your favorite topics! Don't be surprised if you find yourself giggling as you turn pages! Enjoy breathtaking photography, incredible facts, and way-out wow'ing surprises that these millennium-old creatures have to share.

AND: TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE! Yep! Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book is my second turtle book—it's a perfect TWIN to my first international bestseller, I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON: buy BOTH TOGETHER for your shelf. Two little twins; one a fable, one fotos, facts & fun.

So, in closing...please accept this deeply personal gift from me, your faithful sea turtle leader, the turtle-lady, or Stephanie Lisa Turtle - as I was renamed recently by a fan—from my heart to yours.

GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THE CAUSE TO SAVE SEA TURTLES FROM EXTINCTION!


I've always believed that magic hides in special places. As a child, people would often stare at my bright red hair, which was very, very bright indeed.

Unfortunately, I developed a bad habit of making up rhymes about all of them, and they soon became funny characters. I didn't have much time to think about being different; fanciful lyricisms danced in my head, and no one was safe!


Since then, I've come to believe that storytelling has the power to inspire a deep love of language and learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults that stick to your thoughts like taffy-- those are the things that stay forever in the mind.


I've lived in many special places: on a farm, in a city skyscraper, on a tropical beach, and in the beautiful country of France. Now I live in northern California, between the redwood forests and the sea. Even though I'm an adult, I'm still as silly as ever.


Many nice words have been used to describe my books, such as fun, engaging, delightful, and whimsical. Some folks say that I deliver timeless messages of love for kids and parents to share again and again; this makes me very happy. I hope that you'll enjoy my stories, too. Captivating children with language is something that I believe in, and I strive to live my life with this always.
--Stephanie Lisa Tara


www.StephanieLisaTara.com
stephanielisatarabooks@gmail.com


Cause pages (each supports a book's vision):
Stephanie Lisa Tara's Personal Sites:

Giveaway:

15 lucky people will win a copy of Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book. You must be 13 or older to enter. Open to US addresses only.  Giveaway runs from May 12th to June 12, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two lucky reviewers will win a Melissa and Doug Giant Plush Stuffed Sea Turtle that retails at $34.99 and measures 26"L x 8"H x 16"W.  You must review Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book on Amazon to enter.  This giveaway runs from Mothers Day, May 12th to June 12th, 2013.



a Rafflecopter giveaway
And you can still enter to win a Kindle Fire! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, April 8, 2013

Blog Tour: Review of I'll Follow the Moon by Stephanie Lisa Tara & A Giveaway


Publisher: CreateSpace
Format Read: Paperback
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: December 27, 2012 (originally released 2005)
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble   IndieBound

Blurb from goodreads:
On a quiet, moonlit beach, a baby green sea turtle stirs from a dream of home. Slowly, slowly, with a tap, crick, crack, the baby turtle embarks upon a mysterious nighttime journey. Gentle, tender verse and enchanting illustrations carry this tranquil tale from sand to sea.

Stephanie's first book, I'll Follow the Moon comforts children with its soothing tone and melodic repetition.

Bea's Thoughts:

"I'll Follow the Moon" is a sweet story about a newborn turtle's hatching and journey to rejoin his mother in the ocean. Told in rhyme and using wonderful descriptive language, each page ends with the phrase "I'm coming, Mama, I'll see you soon, I know just how...I'll follow the Moon" It's a tranquil story, calm and soothing but with a message of hope. The young turtle pushes on to find his mother and doesn't stop until he succeeds.

The artwork is calming in pastel watercolors with simple backgrounds. The pictures are light on detail, I would have liked a bit more, but the young turtle itself is nicely detailed and, I think, quite adorable.

I saw a few reviews that mentioned the book wasn't scientifically accurate. That may be true, I don't know, but the book isn't written or marketed as a science book so I don't see that's a problem. The back of the book has a page with suggested activities and lesson plans to extend if the child enjoys the book. If a child is interested in learning more, their parent, caregiver or teacher could do some research.There is a facebook page for the book and green sea turtles that may be of interest.

"I'll Follow The Moon" is an enjoyable read for older toddlers and young preschoolers. I see myself sharing this at my school.

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Stephanie is touring the next few weeks to get the word out about Earth Day on April 22nd. You can follow the tour here:  http://www.candacesbookblog.com/2013/02/earth-day-blog-tour-announcement-and.html

She's also doing two giveaways, you can enter below using the rafflecopter widgets. Please read the directions carefully.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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I almost forgot! I was supposed to talk about what we do at my school to help the earth. For the most, we recycle. Being a preschool and a child care center, recycling takes two forms: 1) collecting items with the recycle symbol and turning them into a recycle center, and 2) saving and collecting items everyday items to be used in the classroom or in art or science activities. Actually, that latter is reusing not recycling.

Each classroom has a mesh bag for collecting recyclables and parents take turns bringing it to their local recycle center. We save anything that has a recycle symbol - yogurt containers from children's lunches, empty cracker boxes, etc. We also collect plastic shopping bags which have many uses in the room. I almost hate to see them go and be replaced by fabric bags, those are much less useful for our purposes. Additionally, our office has boxes for recycling paper and we save and turn in our printer's ink cartridges. The break room has a container for drink bottles that can be turned in for bottle deposits. 

As for items that we save and use, well, that's a nearly infinite list of items: old keys, coffee cans, stationary, pretty boxes and ordinary cardboard boxes, fabric, pipe cleaners, magazines, calendars, golf balls, buttons, etc. We even have old cell phones, with the batteries removed. The kids love playing with them and also with old landlines. They solemnly push buttons and carry on conversations. Much of the clothing in our dress up closet is cast-off kids and adult clothing as well as the occasional donated dress up. In fact, many families recycle toys, books, games, clothes, etc. by donating them to the center. We've even had furniture donated, saving us the cost of buying new furniture for the classroom.

Additionally, we plant. Every playground has a garden and we garden organically. Most years, the gardens include vegetables or herbs and the classes, from infants on up to eight year olds, get to eat the results of their labors. Often, we'll make bird feeders in the winter using pine cones and all of the playgrounds have a year round bird feeder that the birds and squirrels enjoy.There's also a compost bin for food scraps.

Is there more we could do? Undoubtedly. We have some constraints that come from state regulations about what we are allowed to do and have. Other limitations come from the usual culprits of time, money,
space, and initiative. But we'll continue to explore and see what we can do, and continue educating our students about the earth and caring for it. 

What do you do? Is there one small change you could make today that would help?