Little Red Driving Hood and the Three Repairs Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Little Red Driving Hood and the Three Repairs
Written by Stacey Rayz
Illustrated by Nenad Taskov
Ages 5-10 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Two Season Press | ISBN-13: 9789769628137

Publisher’s Book Summary: In this modern mashup between Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red dares to be different and takes bold risks as she ventures into a field that is out of the norm for girls. Perfect for girls and boys ages 5 to 10 who love cars, fixing things and fairy tales.

Available for purchase on Amazon.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacey Rayz, hailing from the Caribbean, left her desk job to delve into the world of art and eventually to become a children’s book author. For more information, visit the author's website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, Goodreads, Bookbub.


ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Nenad Taskov, a children’s book illustrator, and cartoonist from Serbia has professionally created cartoons and children’s book illustrations for more than 9 years. What amazes him particularly about this type of art is that it offers the opportunity to demonstrate creativity and a sense of humor and create diverse, interesting, funny characters and situations.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write Little Red Driving Hood and the Three Repairs?

Stacey Rayz - As a child I enjoyed reading the classic fairy tales and as an adult now, I felt that a fresh modern spin to them would have been fun. Children would be able to have a fairy tale character in a modern setting that they could identify with. So I tried many title variations until I came up with the final title then built the story around that.

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers learn from this story?

Stacey Rayz - They will learn to persevere despite setbacks. They will also learn that sometimes help comes from unexpected places and at unexpected times.

Little Red’s famous words “Don’t worry, I can fix it!” helps readers to have a positive outlook under the most challenging situations.

Life Is What It's Called - What do you think will kids like most about this retelling?

Stacey Rayz - Kids are helpful, so I think kids will like the fact that Little Red Driving Hood is trying to help others.

Life Is What It's Called - What do you feel the illustrations add to the message of the story?

Stacey Rayz - I am hoping readers realize the nod to the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in both the illustrations and the story.

Life Is What It's Called - Can you share your writing experience?

Stacey Rayz - When I was in school, I enjoyed my assignments to write about what I did for my school vacation. But my children’s book writing experience came from training I received from Children’s Book Mastery. I’ve attended some of their bootcamps and that really helped me polish my story to make it shine. I have authored two previous books as well.

Life Is What It's Called - What writing projects are you working on next?

Stacey Rayz - My next book is a playful story about a young cow who is not your typical-looking calf and who learns to feel comfortable in her own skin.

Life Is What It's Called - What else should readers know about you?

Stacey Rayz - Not only do I write children’s stories, but I also write and perform a type of calypso music called ‘Extempo’ for fun to entertain my friends.


GIVEAWAY


Enter the giveaway for your chance to win a copy of Little Red Driving Hood and the Three Repairs signed by Stacey Rayz and a $75 Amazon gift card!

Little Red Driving Hood and the Three Repairs: Book Giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Stacey Rayz. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

Fairy Day Games Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fairy Day Games
Written by Mari Sherkin
Illustrated by David Gnass
Ages 4+ | 38 Pages
Publisher: Mascot Kids | ISBN-13: 9781637555064

Publisher’s Book Summary: Get ready for fun at the Fairy Day Games! Join children’s author Mari Sherkin as she peeks inside a secret world, where magical creatures come together to prepare for the most festive Fairy Day of the year!!

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised in Toronto by an English father and Canadian mother, Mari Sherkin was always the happiest playing outdoors and using her imagination. She still is. Her first children’s book, A Fairy on My Sleeve, was an international success.

For more information, visit the author's website, Instagram, and/or Twitter.



AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What did you like most about writing this book?

Mari Sherkin - I was actually writing another fairy story at the time and one night my husband and I decided to watch an old movie. The movie was located in a very small, quaint town which was holding an old-fashioned county fair. 

My mind turned to fairies as it often does and I wondered, what if the fairies had a fair? A whole day of fun and games organized by the fairy folk and their magical friends. What would that be like? After that, the rhymes just started coming to me. 

Life Is What It's Called- What do you think readers will like most about this book?

Mari Sherkin - I love the idea that there could be wonderful, magical worlds that we don’t know exist, right in our back garden. I think it is that “What If” scenario that made Fairy Day Games so much fun to write.  What if there are fairies in the woods behind our house and what if had their own Olympic games?  What if it was only for one day? What if everyone who lived in the forest had to work together for months to get it all ready? What if I were invited?  

Yes, my favourite part of writing Fairy Day Games were definitely the “What If’s” 

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?

Mari Sherkin - In my magical fairy world, everyone is different but they all work together to make a wonderful day at the fair for everyone. It is a cheerful, safe space where there is no poverty, hate or war. 

 There are fairies, gnomes, squirrels and frogs and everyone gets along with each other. I suppose if I did have a message, it would be to put aside differences and work together for a common cause. There really aren’t that many safe spaces left these days in the real world, so I wanted to create a place that was special for children to go in their imagination.  

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers like most about this book?

Mari Sherkin - I think the best thing about this book is the artwork. David Gnass, with whom I’ve worked before, has a wonderful eye for detail. I told him that I wanted children to be able to stay on the pages even after they finished reading the words, so they could examine the artwork and find something new and exciting each time. This also helps younger children feel more included in the story, even if they don’t read quite yet. 

Life Is What It's Called - What makes your book stand apart from others on the market?

Mari Sherkin - Fairy Day Games is about friendship and joy, innocence and excitement. I didn’t write it with any sort of lesson in mind, nor is any merchandise is being marketed or sold to children, which I suppose is different. Really, Fairy Day Games is just a happy little escape from the everyday routine, a place to go for daydreams. 

Life Is What It's Called - Are you working on any other writing projects?

Mari Sherkin - Currently, I have one book ready for illustration, with two more books in progress.  I am also in the process of recording an album of children’s songs that I wrote, one of which will be filmed as a video this summer. These songs are actually part of a larger body of work - a children’s musical - that I hope to pitch within the next two years. 

Life Is What It's Called - Can you share your background in writing?

 

Mari Sherkin - I do not really have a professional background in writing. In high school, English and Drama were my two favourite classes - I read a lot of Shakespeare and wrote a lot of poetry - however in college, I studied Interior Design and then turned to fitness. 

I didn’t really start writing my poems down until my son was a teenager, and nothing was published until 20 years after that. They sat in a folder in the bottom of a drawer until I found them again and thought they might be nice as Picture Books for preschoolers. 

Life Is What It's Called - What else should readers know about this book?

Mari Sherkin - Fairy Day Games is a picture book about fairies, for preschoolers. It is all about an elusive, magical world, that is usually hidden from humans, making her dream of an invitation that much more exclusive.  My hope is that it will help invigorate a child’s imagination, letting them take the story further, perhaps inspiring them to make up some new games for the fairies to play. Hopefully, it will encourage and stimulate creative conversation and play, just by asking the simple question “What if?” 


GIVEAWAY 

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a signed copy of the Fairy Day Games!

Fairy Day Games: Giveaway

This post is sponsored by Expound Publicity. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

The Orchids of Ashthorne Hall Book Review

 ABOUT THE BOOK

1887, the Cornwall coast

For years, rumors have flown through the village of Suttonsbury about Ashthorne Hall—that its occupants hoard pirate treasure, that a ghost walks its halls—but botanist Hyacinth Bell only cares about the estate's extensive, one-of-a-kind orchid collection. As an independent woman, she is eager to focus on her career, even if it means waiting to pursue a romantic relationship. After all, love—like an orchid—must be nurtured and tended before it can bloom.

What she doesn't expect is to be swept away by Lucas Harding, the manor's caretaker, upon their first meeting. He is handsome and charming, and the connection between the two is nearly instantaneous. Hyacinth is certain this autumn will be the season that everything good in her life takes root

But then strange things start happening in the seemingly empty halls of the estate: unexplainable noises, items appearing then disappearing from her room, threatening messages, and glimpses of a woman in white who vanishes into the dark. Lucas dismisses Hyacinth's worries, insisting that there is no ghost at Ashthorne Hall, but she suspects he is withholding information and decides to investigate the mystery herself.

Armed with little more than her instincts and her courage, Hyacinth must venture deep into the shadows of Ashthorne Hall to uncover the truth Lucas is keeping secret before she herself falls victim to the dangers hidden in the estate.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Anderson loves hiking, Broadway shows, rainstorms, food, books, and movies. She lives in the mountains and adores the ocean; she dreams of travel but loves staying home. Happiness is dabbling in lots of creative activities, afternoon naps, and cheese. All the cheese.

REVIEW

Hyacinth Bell, a botanist, plans to only tend to the prized orchids at Ashthorne Hall while the owner and his family are away in India. She delights in beauty of the orchids, but she finds Ashthorne Hall shrouded in mysteries, intrigues, and danger. As she becomes closer to unraveling the mysteries, she finds herself falling in love with the caretaker.

The Orchids of Ashthorne Hall dives into a gothic romance complete with surprising scares, secret passageways, mystery and romance. The author kept true to the genre while combining many historical references and facts about orchids to make her story come alive on the pages. I found this to be a fast and easy read. It's a page turner that will keep you up at night. The characters are interesting and captivating with their multi-layered backgrounds and will keep you guessing on what the reveal will be at the end. The romance in this story is clean and could easily be read by teens and adults. I had read the non-fiction book years earlier that the author mentioned in her acknowledgements. I do think it's worth a read after this book. It'll help you understand more of the horrors that were mentioned in this book. To learn more about The Orchids of Ashthorne Hall, click here.

I received a free ARC copy to review this story, however, this is my honest opinion. Please note this post and review is in cooperation with the publisher. This post contains affiliate links that helps support this blog.