Author: cvegnad

June 5, 2017

Dancing In The Rain Spotlight

In Dancing In The Rain, can she end the turmoil and escape the firmly built trap to find the freedom she craves?

Dancing In The Rain

Fifteen-year old Valeria Allegro works diligently on the family farm in Italy, where she is torn between her duty to her family and her desire to find freedom from her strict, domineering father. She finds solace in Dario, a young student who provides a blissful escape—until a neighbour’s son, Gregorio, decides he wants her for himself.

This raises an alarm for her father, which leads to family conflict and aggression. When Dario is threatened and her family is plagued by a series of suspicious accidents, Valeria is desperate to keep her loved ones safe. Can she end the turmoil and escape the firmly built trap to find the freedom she craves?

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

About the Author

Lucy Appadoo is a registered counsellor and wellness coach with a part-time private practice. She also works as a rehabilitation counsellor for the Australian government. In her spare time, she self-publishes or writes nonfiction and fiction texts. She previously worked as a rehabilitation consultant, caseworker, English as a second language teacher, and proofreader.

Lucy has postgraduate diplomas in psychology, education, and English as a Second Language teaching, as well as specialised qualifications in grief counselling and hypnosis. She has also completed wellness coaching courses (levels 1-3) at Wellness Coaching Australia.

Lucy enjoys reading romantic suspense, romance, thrillers, crime novels, family/historical drama, and sagas. She writes in the genres of romantic suspense, historical fiction, and romance. She has enjoyed travelling to exotic places such as Madrid, Mauritius, and Italy, and draws on these experiences in her creative writing.

Lucy’s favourite authors include Kendra Elliot, Christiane Heggan, Theresa Ragan, Tara Moss, Nicholas Sparks, Adriana Trigiani, Erica Spindler, and James Patterson (to name a few).

Lucy’s interests include meditation, playing tennis, journal writing, reading fiction and nonfiction texts about writing, coaching, and counselling, ongoing professional development, spending time with her husband and two daughters, and socialising with friends and family.

Connect with Lucy on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

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

June 4, 2017

Smithsonian Maker Lab: 28 Super Cool Projects

Hands up: Does your child love to build, create and discover? Then Smithsonian Maker Lab is the book for you!

About Smithsonian Maker Lab

Supporting STEM education initiatives and the maker movement, the National Parenting Publication Award-winner Maker Lab includes 28 kid-safe projects and crafts that will get young inventors’ wheels turning and make science pure fun.

Each step-by-step activity is appropriate for kids ages 8-12, and ranked easy, medium, or hard, with an estimated time frame for completion. Requiring only household materials, young makers can build an exploding volcano, race balloon rocket cars, construct a solar system, make a lemon battery, and more. Photographs and facts carefully detail the “why” and “how” of each experiment using real-world examples to provide context so kids can gain a deeper understanding of the scientific principles applied.

With a foreword by Jack Andraka, a teen award-winning inventor, Maker Lab will help kids find their inner inventor and create winning projects for school projects, science fairs, and beyond. This book was even on the Late Show with James Corden!

My Thoughts

Science is an academic subject close to my heart. I loved biology, chemistry and physics through my academic career and I want my boys to experience how truly awesome science is. It is also one of those subjects that can be overwhelming for some students. But if taught right and made fun, science is truly amazing and opens doors for their future.

This book is truly incredible for young children to teens (and even adults). It covers a wide range of science topics that can be found in the home, in the outdoor environment and even in water and food! There is a total of twenty eight science projects in this one hundred fifty seven page book that also includes a glossary of terms. The book is hard covered and roughly letter page sized. Each project spans a couple of pages with large accompanying photographs that aids in the instruction of each experiment. The photographs are bright, bold and are effective at helping guide you through the instructions. The instructions for each experiment start off with a complete list of materials needed with pictures accompanied with detailed step by step instructions (each step having their own picture as well). The instructions are easy to follow both if your child wants to work alone or if you want to help them out. Each project also has a difficulty rating as well as how much time is required for each experiment if you are planning your experiments.

What I loved the most was that each experiment also had the science theory behind it included. This is so important for children – the why is what will keep them engaged and wanting to learn more about science. Science can sometimes be daunting for children and teens, participating in experiments that are interesting and fun can really help to foster the love of the sciences. This book is a great tool in fostering this love, from making invisible ink to radio speakers to fossils, this book covers it all!

You can purchase a copy of this book on the DK Canada website here.

Rating: 5/5

Awards

This book has won the following two awards:

A National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Winner
A Eureka! Silver Honor Book award winner

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

June 2, 2017

Celebrate the DVD Release of Kuu Kuu Harajuku: Music Baby Giveaway

On June 13th in the US and July 4th in Canada, the animated series KUU KUU HARAJUKU following the fun-filled adventures of the band HJ5 – Love, Angel, Music, Baby and G – through their super kawaii (cute) world of music, fashion and style will be released on DVD. Get ready to explore the world of music and fashion with this amazing hit!

About Kuu Kuu Harajuku: Music Baby

The animated series KUU KUU HARAJUKU follows the fun-filled adventures of the band HJ5 – Love, Angel, Music, Baby and G – through their super kawaii (cute) world of music, fashion and style. The inspiration for this popular animated series came from Grammy® Award-winning musician Gwen

Stefani who wanted to create an animated series for girls that encourages and celebrates creative self-expression, imagination and individuality. The show’s setting is inspired by the exuberant street fashion and creative youth culture of the Harajuku district but it takes place in a magical fantasy world like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

G is the lead singer of HJ5. She’s a natural leader and an amazing friend. She’s positive and enthusiastic, and fond of saying “Tick tock, time to rock!” Love is a fashionista, a great dancer, and cute as a button. She’s also a genius who often saves the day with her inventions. Angel is super chic, fun and enthusiastic. This fashionista has 325 pairs of shoes, and even her accessories have accessories! Music has a tough girl attitude, and is brutally honest. She brings a hint of edge and attitude to the group, and is fiercely protective of her friends. Baby sees the kawaii in all things: babies, puppies, rattlesnakes… She sees the good in everything, and also knows how to take care of herself. As G says, “Baby can charm the fire out of a dragon.”

Then, there is Rudie Rhodes, HJ5’s well-meaning but semi-incompetent manager. He books the band on all sorts of gigs, and they are happy to play anywhere, but dealing with villains, aliens and general Harajuku weirdness makes it impossible for them to ever finish a concert!

Episodes Include:

Totally Teen Genie
Angel’s Flight
Music, Baby
Wanted Audience
Game Over
Phony Ponies
Hello Puppy
G, This is Awfully Deep
Baby’s Birthday
Labour of Love
Bad Boy and Little Girl
Yummy Bear Nado
Drums of Doom
Adventures in Housesitting
BONUS: Bringing the Band to Life!

Trailer

Kuu Kuu Harajuku is a wonderful new series celebrating a young girls ability to be who she wants to be and celebrate their difference and uniqueness. They are funny, special, confident, brave and full of life. This is the perfect animated series to empower young girls to love themselves and be who they were meant to be. From the graphics to the music to the personality, you can’t help but fall in love.

Make sure to download the Kuu Kuu Harajuku band and Kuu Kuu Harajuku rainbow colouring pages to continue the music fun. You can also help your child take the Kuu Kuu Harajuku quiz to see which member they are most like!

You can pre-order a copy of this DVD from Shout! Kids Factory here as well as on Walmart, Target and Amazon.

The Giveaway!

My American and Canadian readers can enter now to win their own copy of this special DVD series from award winning Gwen Stefani. Enter via the Rafflcopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

June 1, 2017

The Lady Who Cried Murder

In The Lady Who Cried Murder, fame comes at a price. Some pay with their privacy. Others pay with their pride. Khloe Everest paid with her life.

About The Lady Who Cried Murder

Determined to get her pretty face in front of the cameras, Khloe Everest fakes an abduction only to make a grand entrance in the midst of a press conference held by Spencer’s Police Chief David O’Callaghan.

Three years later, after failing to catapult her notoriety into a long-lasting celebrity, Khloe Everest returns to Spencer upon her mother’s sudden death and seemingly finds another weapon to propel herself into the spotlight. Unfortunately, someone kills her before she can make this entrance.

In Lauren Carr’s sixth Mac Faraday Mystery, Mac and his friends come up against reality stars, politicians, has-beens, and wannabes. Mac also finds himself face-to-face with an old foe from his past who had managed to escape arrest during their last encounter. Now, Mac sees that his adversary has only become more powerful, and dangerous, with the passage of time.

Intent to not let this killer escape again, Mac and his friends need to put all of their talents together to put a stop to a cold-blooded lady killer.

My Thoughts

This Mac Faraday mystery is just as exciting and suspenseful as you have come to expect from Lauren Carr! She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end.

In this novel, we start off with a wanna be celebrity faking her abduction in order to make the news. Several years later, she still hasn’t found her fame and returns home to Spencer when her Mother dies. This is when she uncovers a secret that would propel her into the spotlight permanently but she pays for this secret with her life.

After the murder is discovered, Mac and his gang uncover layers of murders, politicians, lies and cover ups. Mac uncovers a tie to an old foe that he couldn’t arrest and this motivates him to solve this new mystery. He needs the help of his entire gang (including his furry members!) in order to solve these crimes that are twisted and hidden in cover ups.

This novel is amazing – you are left guessing right to the very end. It was an ending that I did not see coming at all! The plot is fast moving, unexpected and well written. The characters fully come alive in this novel – they are relatable, funny and ready for anything.

Lauren has another winner in The Lady Who Cried Murder – a definite must read in the Mac Faraday series.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Audible.

Rating: 5/5

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 (including the real Gnarly’s klutzy nephew Sterling) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

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.

May 31, 2017

More Than a Soldier Book Review

More Than a Soldier is Angelo DiMarco’s powerful story of survival, resilience and courage.

About More Than a Soldier

Feeling a patriotic duty to defend his country after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, seventeen year old, Angelo J. DiMarco, enlists in the U.S. Army. Severely short of frontline fighters, the Army rushes Angelo through Ranger training and sends him to Italy as part of the 1st Ranger Battalion. Their objective: stop the German invasion.

Fighting on the front lines in Italy, the German’s teach Angelo a sobering lesson on life when they capture him during the bloody battle of Cisterna. Against insurmountable odds, Angelo miraculously escapes in a way that stretches the imagination. He survives behind enemy lines for over five months, hiding from the Germans and trying to outmaneuver them. He begs for food, sleeps in barns and suffers from many ailments, including dehydration, malnutrition, malaria and exposure to the elements.

My Thoughts

More Than a Solider is a truly powerful story of a young man who is determined to survive and fight for what he believes and knows is true. It is a story full of bravery, grace, resilience and leaves you feeling humbled, sad and hopeful. While a true story about Angelo’s experiences during the war, it does not glorify war. It shows us the real pain, the hopes and frailness of life.

Angelo enlisted in the US Army and was soon off to fight at the front with the very important battalion, the Rangers. They are trained in a physically demanding manner that makes you cringe but once they are out in the field, you truly understand why they had to be so physically, mentally and emotionally prepared. When they are captured and many of the men in battalion are killed, you worry that the end is near. Somehow he manages to escape but is then out in the open behind enemy lines. This begins an even greater struggle for food, shelter and survival.

Through this novel we are exposed to the real sides of war – the brutality, the illness, the friendships, the hopes and fears. Everything is laid out bare for us in this novel. You feel sadness, hope and pray for him throughout his journey. More Than A Soldier should be a must read for young adults and adults a like. It is a truly special story that I feel blessed to have had read.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Daniel M. Annechino, a former book editor, wrote his first book, How to Buy the Most Car for the Least Money, while working as a General Manager in the automobile business. But his passion had always been fiction, particularly thrillers. He spent two years researching serial killers before finally penning his gripping and memorable debut novel They Never Die Quietly. He has written and published five novels—all thrillers. But his latest work, More Than a Soldier, is a Historical Biography set in Italy during WWII.

A native of New York, Annechino now lives in San Diego with his wife, Jennifer. He loves to cook, enjoys a glass of vintage wine, and spends lots of leisure time on the warm beaches of Southern California.

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.