Month: February 2021

February 24, 2021

Eternally Artemisia Book Review

With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

About Eternally Artemisia

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it. As Maddie’s relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together. In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Book Trailer

My Thoughts

“This painting…is for myself, for you- for my daughter- for all the women who are vulnerable and powerless. It is for those who haven’t had their voices heard…I create an alterative and promising world in which women take control” – Eternally Artemisia

Eternally Artemisia is a powerful story of the power of women, love, healing and the strength in standing up for oneself. Artemisia is an incredibly gifted painter but one whom many will never know of simply as she was a woman born in a time when woman were viewed as nothing more than a wife and vessel to bear children. She was full of light but held her own pain and struggles after being raped and forced to go through a humiliating trial to convict her rapist.

Maddie loves her art and finds healing in her work, something I can relate to. There is nothing more releasing and healing than becoming lost in your art – whether sketching, doodling, painting and even creating collages. We find ourselves in these moments, learning more about ourselves and allowing ourselves to truly show how we feeling. Maddie has always felt a tug to the past, and I loved how through this novel we see her ties to not only Artemisia but also to Matteo.

The story is full of love and healing – both the bond and love between women but also the enduring love between a husband and wife. I loved how the story tied together characters that were born centuries apart and how the love between Matteo and Maddie was eternal. Their souls finding each other centuries apart, a love that is born of respect, strength and honesty which makes your heart swell with hope and love.

Eternally Artemisia is a rich, well written novel full of history, art, strength, love and so much more. It is a novel that you cannot put down as you need to know more about not only the artist but Maddie and her own ties to her. It is a novel of hope and strength, that shows the power of a woman – that she can conquer anything set in her path and when she puts her mind to it, she can reach the stars. It is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, Eternally Artemisia, and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola. All four books tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future for themselves. Melissa is also the author of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). Studentessa Matta means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include a podcast, Tutti Matti per l’Italiano and the Studentessa Matta, YouTube channel, Facebook page and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy. Through her website, she also offers the opportunities to live and study in Italy through Homestay programs. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history, and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for all four of her books. Melissa is the managing director of Matta Press.

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 24, 2021

Love and Other Moods Spotlight Tour

This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships — familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships — in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.

About Love and Other Moods

Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, discovering strength and finding one’s place in the world. Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé’s company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country. Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai. This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships — familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships — in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, and Booktopia.

About the Author

Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was formerly a public relations executive who had worked with brands in the fashion, beauty, technology, and automotive industries. ‘Love and Other Moods’ is her debut novel. You can connect with her on Amazon and Instagram.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 22, 2021

Lemar and her Magical Pets

Lemar and her Magical Pets teach simple facts about pets and give children a glimpse of what it means to own a pet; that pets require lots of care and are hard work.

Lemar and her Magical Pets

Perhaps, Pets are more than best friends, they are a huge responsibility. Lemar and her Magical Pets teach simple facts about pets and give children a glimpse of what it means to own a pet; that pets require lots of care and are hard work. Lemar finds a gemstone in her backyard. She will use it to ask for a pet. Little did she know that the gemstone will unfold the truth of owning a pet. With a little bit of time left to try over and over again, will magic work for her after all? This children’s book is full of unexpected magical Outcomes! Children will love to read it over and over again.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Nesrine is a full-time preschool teacher for more than ten years. Nesrine holds a degree in child development and is currently working on a master’s degree in Family and Human Development. Nesrine loves to read fantasy books and believes in the magic of hard work! Currently, she is working on books two of ,both, the Magical Gemstone Series and Learning Through Reflection Series. More on the personal side, Nesrine loves white flowers, horses, birds, and is fascinated with ants’ teamwork.

You can connect with them on their website and Instagram.

Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

February 17, 2021

Snatch the Treats from Granny in Greedy Granny from Goliath Games

Can you steal the sweets from Granny without waking her up? Try your skills out in the new Greedy Granny game from Goliath Games.

About Greedy Granny

Grab the treats as quickly and quietly as you can with Greedy Granny! Granny loves her sweets, but she’s not so great at sharing (oh no!). While Granny snoozes, spin the treat wheel to see which sweet to swipe. But be quiet…one wrong move will wake Granny up and send her teeth flying.

In order to win, you must collect each one of her treats.

Game Contents:

1 Greedy Granny in an Armchair (2 Pieces)
1 Set of Granny’s Teeth (1 Piece)
1 Treat Wheel
12 Treats

Our Thoughts

Greedy Granny made a great new addition to our pandemic game nights. While our lockdown rules may have lifted quite recently, we are still spending the majority of our time at home. To keep the nights fun and everyone in bright moods, we turn to games that entertain and bring out our competitive nature.

Greedy Granny was a new concept to me, the game requires no batteries to use (my favourite part) and was easy to set up. The set up consisted of attaching Granny’s upper body and the top of the recliner to the base and you are ready to play. To be fair – I was awful at this part (for some reason I could not get the top to recline and Granny’s arms to go down) but my husband figured it out quite quickly.

The game concept is fun and easy to follow as you spin the the wheel to determine the treat you need to steal and the amount of times that you must press the button (this will eventually trigger Granny to wake up). In order to win the game, a player must collect one of each of her favourite treats without waking her up (which causes quite the scene as she moves forward and sends her teeth flying). The game can be played with two to four players and is suited for players aged four and up. It was easy to play together and follow the rules (the game design makes it hard to cheat – a must have in our competitive family). The set up and clean up is simple as it is one unit with a few smaller pieces (treats).

Greedy Granny is a fun and easy game to play that the whole family will fall in love with.

Greedy Granny Video

You can purchase Greedy Granny from Walmart, Amazon and Target.

Make sure to stay up to date with new game releases and more from Goliath Games by connecting with them on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: I received this product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

February 16, 2021

Love Book Review

“Love connects us, no matter how far apart we are.” – Love

About Love

Everyone loves everyone in Tess’s house. When Tess has to leave for school for the very first time, she is worried that her family’s love might not stretch that far. Her Mom explains that love is like a string, that it connects people together even when they are far away. At school Tess notices that all the children have strings. Some are new, some are old, some stretch a long way, and some even stretch right up into the sky! But what happens when a string breaks?

Our Thoughts

We fell in love with this beautiful story about relationships and the power of love between families, friends and even teachers. Big events can be scary for children, especially when they have spent their lives surrounded only by their immediate family and loved ones. The thought of being separated from this love and comfort zone is scary for children. This book did an amazing job of showing children that we are still connected to our family and loved ones through a very special bond (in this story a string) that stretches and bends over long distances but no matter what is always there. All of us have strings to our loved ones and each string is just a little bit different. Tess learns about these strings and how they are connected with a big new adventure for her – school!

This book does an incredible job of making a tough topic easy to understand, full of compassion, and understanding. It made my heart melt as we read the story together. The words flow nicely and have a great rhythm to them. The illustrations feel soft and tender, matching the tone of the story and help pull the story together. Love is a beautiful story for young children as they set out for preschool and school for the first time (and even for older children as they deal with separation and anxiety). It helps to tackle those big feelings in a way that young children can break down and understand.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author and Illustrator

Corrinne Averiss is the author of My Pet Star, winner of the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year, the Stockport Children’s Book Awards and in over 450,000 homes as part of Booktrust’s Pyjamarama campaign. Her first book, A Dot in the Snow, illustrated by Fiona Woodcock, was shortlisted for the CILIP Greenaway award, featured on CBeebies’ Bedtime Stories and in The Sunday Times’ Books of the Year. She is the author of Joy, Hope, Sorrel and the Sleepover, The Boy on the Bench, and Floss the Playground Boss. She is drawn to themes of identity and belonging in her books and aims to deliver big feelings with humour and tenderness.

Kirsti Beautyman works from her studio in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, using a range of mediums to build layers of texture and detail which are combined digitally to create her illustrations. She finds inspiration within mundane observations and is often staring vacantly into the distance thinking up narratives and ideas. Kirsti won Picture Hooks Illustrator of the Year Award in 2017.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.