November 1, 2017
Enchanted by the Highlander Book Review
In Enchanted by the Highlander, love has a very different ending in mind for two individuals who are so very different.
About Enchanted by the Highlander
Gillian MacLeod is shy and quiet, the least likely of all her sisters to seek out excitement and adventure. But on a moonlit night at a masquerade ball, Gillian steals a kiss from a mysterious stranger, knowing she’ll never see him again.
John Erly, disowned by his noble English father, started a new life in Scotland. Most people are suspicious of the foreign mercenary and he does everything is his power to avoid romantic entanglements. But he can’t forget the bewitching beauty who kissed him in the dark, and stole his heart, even though he has no idea who she might be.
A year later, John is given the duty of escorting Gillian to her wedding and immediately recognizes her as the temptress he’s dreamed of for months. There’s not much he can do when she’s promised to another man, but fate intervenes and this time, passion—and adventure—can’t be denied. Honor demands he stay away from the MacLeod’s enchanting daughter, but love has a very different ending in mind.
My Thoughts
Enchanted by the Highlander is a sweet romance novel that was fun to read. In this novel, we have Gillian who is thought of as shy and quiet, someone who always has to have someone else make a decision for her. But the truth of the matter is, she is full of ideas and thoughts but no one stops to listen to her. Many times she tries to voice her opinion but her family ignores her. They talk right over her without realizing she has a bright, kind and brave heart that is aching to be released.
Enter John, a disgraced English noble (which is why I found the title odd as he isn’t quite a Highlander). He escapes to the highlands with a Scottish noble after saving his life. He meets Gillian but doesn’t really see her for who she is, he only sees the beautiful but painfully quiet girl on the outside.
A chance and brave encounter, leave Gillian longing for more and John not quite sure who his mystery lady is! After being separated for over a year, these two must decide whether they can break apart from the roles their family have placed on their heads and embrace a future together or to deny feelings and live apart.
This book was a light, romantic and fun read from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every moment.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
Rating: 4/5
About the Author
Lecia Cornwall lives and writes in Calgary, Canada in the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies, with five cats, two teenagers, a crazy chocolate lab, and one very patient husband. She’s hard at work on her next book. Come visit Lecia at www.leciacornwall.com, or drop her a line at leciacornwall@shaw.ca.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 1, 2017
Twofer Murder Spotlight Tour
Lauren Carr’s Twofer Murder is a 2-for-1—making it a must-read for any mystery fan!
About Twofer Murder
Twofer murder? What’s a twofer murder?
Twofer Murder is a treat for fans of best-selling author Lauren Carr’s fast-paced mysteries! Lauren’s latest novel contains the main characters from her three successful series: Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose mysteries. The guys go away for a fishing weekend only to get caught up in the murder of a journalist investigating fraud at a timber company. Meanwhile, the ladies are spending the weekend in the presidential suite at a posh resort where Jessica Faraday is to accept a lifetime achievement award for her late grandmother at a murder mystery writers conference. But before they have time to get their facials, they get wrapped up in their own real mystery when an up and coming author ends up dead!
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
Book Trailer
About the Author
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Video Interview
The Giveaway
Disclosure: This is a spotlight post, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 31, 2017
Will’s Jams Live! in Toronto Giveaway
Children’s musician and JUNO nominee Will Stroet and his Backyard Band will be live in Toronto on November 12th.
Who is Will Stroet?
JUNO nominee Will Stroet, the star of the TV series here and Kidoodle.TV, inspires kids to be active, healthy, creative and engaged in the world through educational music in English and French. Will discovered his talent for writing kids music while completing his education degree at the University of B.C. After releasing his first album in 2005 and playing shows around Vancouver, Will knew he had found his calling. In 2009, he took a leave from teaching to pursue music full-time and has never looked back.
Over the years, Will has performed more than 1,500 shows at major festivals, schools and theatres across Canada and in China. He has garnered national recognition for his six albums in English and French including a 2017 JUNO nomination for his latest album, “Wordplay,” six WCMA nominations, two from the CFMA and two from the Sirius XM Indies. In 2015, UBC’s Faculty of Education honoured Will in their top 100 Alumni awards.
In addition to being a devoted dad of two girls, Will is passionate about his work as an artist, educator and board member with here, which supports art and creativity in BC’s young people.
About Will’s Jams Live! Show
This interactive concert, which first toured in China during the summer, integrates video content with live music based on his popular TV series that airs on CBC Kids and feature sin-along favourites including Jam, Eat a Plum Yum Yum, Stampede and Chuggada Choo.
The Details
Date: November 12th, 2017
Time: Doors open at 10:15 AM. Come early to enjoy the JCC’s Jungle Gym for free
from 9 AM-12 PM when you buy tickets to the concert. You can also meet Will with CBC
Kids TV host Janaye from Studio K and get your photo taken from 10:15-10:45 AM and
following the concert from 11AM-12 PM
Location: Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC
Tickets: Tickets are $15 each or $55 for a four pack and can be purchased here.
You can now receive 10% off tickets by using code: WorkingMommy here.
The Giveaway!
My readers that are around the GTA area or who are willing to drive, can now enter to win a four pack of tickets to Will’s Jams Live! in Toronto on November 12th. Please remember travel and accommodation are not included when you enter this giveaway. Good luck!
Disclosure: I am a Will Stroet Brand Ambassador and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 30, 2017
The Purple Turtle Graded Readers Boxed Set, Levels 1,2,3
Purple Turtle is the world’s ‘cutest’ turtle. Purple Turtle started as a children’s book imprint of Aadarsh Pvt. Ltd. and was transformed to a gender neutral character for kids books, story books, colouring books, stencil books, activity books, puzzle books, dot to dot books, notebooks and games for children.
About Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 1
The first level of Purple Turtle Graded Readers includes a set of 12 books with interesting stories and activities and 150 word count. This level is exclusively for learners who have just started reading. It is based on ATOS and Lexile reading level system.
You can purchase this boxed set on Amazon.
About Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 2
The second level includes a set of 12 books with 12 interesting stories and several engaging activities that is likely to make learning an enjoyable experience. The book has a word count of 150-250 and is based on the ATOS and Lexile reading level system. This level is for readers who have just learned to read.
You can purchase this boxed set on Amazon.
About Purple Turtle Graded Readers Level 3
The third level includes a set of 12 books with engaging stories and fun-filled activities. It is based on the Lexile and ATOS reading level system and has a word count of 250-350. This level is for learners who have started reading with confidence.
You can purchase this boxed set on Amazon.
My Thoughts
Reading is the best gift you can give your child. It can also be quite difficult for your child to learn to read and then to read independently. Starting them at a young age with an appropriate set of books is so important. That is why I love graded reading level books that are geared to an appropriate reading level. You want your child to feel a bit of a push to learn but also to increase their confidence.
These reading level boxed books are a great start for children as they begin to read. They are gender neutral with fantastic illustrations in bright, bold colours with friendly characters. The sight words are appropriate for each level and are repeated enough to help your child with word recall. I really liked that each book also taught a little lesson, one was about a broken arm, another about putting away clothes and so on. I love when a book does this and bonus so does our son. They also came with a part where you could mark off your level of reading success to help your child keep track of their progress.
These graded reading level books would make an excellent gift for a young reader starting out. They make excellent reading time and bed time books. It is so important to teach young children the love of reading by giving them appropriate level books that push and give them the confidence to succeed.
Rating: 5/5
Book Trailer
About the Publisher
Purple Turtle is India’s 1st International brand with its educational content in several languages sold in more than 30 countries including Russia, China, US and UK. The character of Purple Turtle has delighted children across the globe through beautifully created Purple Turtle books, rhymes and videos available on YouTube.
Purple Turtle was created with the idea to spread education through a wide range of innovative books for children. To give them the experience of convenient online learning, Purple Turtle also brings both learning and entertainment on a common platform to give a wholesome learning experience to young minds.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of these readers. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 23, 2017
Wanderers No More Book Review
A true family affair, Wanderers No More will make you laugh, remind you of your family, and warm your heart.
About Wanderers No More
The war may be over, but the fight to belong is just the beginning.
Left homeless, starving, and almost killed by the Second World War, the Saforo family are refugees fleeing Italy for a better life. The shores of Australia are calling to them and they head off, packing dreams of jobs, a home and… soccer.
But from the moment they get off the boat, adapting to the Australian way of life is harder than it seems. Their family doesn’t speak right, eat right or even look right. As they struggle to build a simple life against the backdrop of 1950s’ racism, they start to wonder if they will be outsiders forever.
My Thoughts
I fell in love with this book, it is more than just a story – it is life, a life that so many of us know. Immigrating is difficult, landing in a country where you don’t speak the language, don’t understand the culture, the food or the expressions but you do so in hope for a brighter future for your children and their children. Sometimes as second and third generation immigrants, we can forget exactly what our family went through to give us the life we have and I love how this book addresses that at times. My favourite part was when Martino looked at his Father and felt compassion and understanding. The compassion part hit me the most. It can be easy to get frustrated with our Grandparents for saving money, for not wanting to spend it on “wanted” items, to the way they take value in certain things and their strong work ethic. But when we take a moment to step back and see everything they went through for us, you fully understand them.
This book follows the Saforo family as they land in Australia. They don’t speak English, they have very little money and they face culture shock. They are forced from camp to camp before they arrive at their final destination. Everything is different for them – from the language to the weather and even to the food. They face hate everywhere they go, at times it is quite shocking what they go through and the way they are spoken to. In all of this, they struggle to build a better life for their family.
This is a truly amazing story of hope, compassion and faith. Leaving your home in search of a better future for your children is never easy. It is so important for us as their descendants to understand and appreciate their struggles. This is a definite must read book.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Odyssey Books, Barnes & Noble, Indigo.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Michelle Saftich resides in Brisbane, Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Business/Communications Degree, majoring in journalism, from the Queensland University of Technology.
For the past 20 years, she has worked in communications, including print journalism, sub-editing, communications management and media relations.
Born and raised in Brisbane, she spent 10 years living in Sydney; and two years in Osaka, Japan, where she taught English.
Her historical fiction novel, Port of No Return, was inspired by a true family story. It was published by Australian independent publishing house, Odyssey Books in 2015. Its sequel, Wanderers No More was released in August 2017. Michelle is married with two children.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.