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Cover Reveal Sally Sleuth and The Missing Mice

January 12, 2017 1 Comment

About the Book

Title: Sally Sleuth and The Missing Mice

Author: Majanka Verstraete

Age Group: Lower Grade / Chapter Book

Genre: Mystery

Sally Sleuth, a fourth-grade self-proclaimed detective, is charged to bring the class’s pet mice home for the evening. But with her brother’s snake crawling around, her dad locking himself up in his office all night, and her mom’s strict “time for bed” policy causing her to leave the mouse cage open, it’s no wonder the animals have disappeared by the next morning.

Sally doesn’t have much time to find the mice before she’ll let her teacher and all her friends down.

Sally Sleuth is a series of chapter books for kids who like mysteries.

Release Date: January 30, 2017

Format: eBook and Paperback

Price: $2.99

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio

Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library.

She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her.

She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in.

Majanka has a Master of Law and Master of Criminology degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Find Majanka online at:

Website: http://majankaverstraete.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Majanka-Verstraete/398570476832115

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iheartreads

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/eternalised

 

Pre-order on Amazon

Pre-order on Amazon

 

Giveaway


Win an eBook copy and $5 Amazon gift card for the cover reveal of Sally Sleuth and The Missing Mice.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

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Book Tours: Starter Day Party Drowning in Fear

September 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

bannerDIF
I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for lower grade chapter book “Drowning in Fear”. Enjoy the party!

Tour Schedule

September 23rd: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

September 25th: Promo Post @ Domestic Chanteuse

 September 27th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

September 29th: Author Interview @ The Single Librarian

October 1st:  Book Review @ Endazzled Reading

October 2nd: Book Excerpt @ Realm Tramper

October 4th: Guest Post @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

October 6th: Promo Post @ Hollow Readers

October 8th:  Author Interview @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

October 9th: Book Excerpt @ NaYa Books

October 11th: Book Review @ Forever Book Lover

October 14th: Promo Post @ Bookaholic Ramblings

October 16th:  Guest Post @ The Book Daily

October 18th: Book Review and Excerpt @ Cajun Book Lover

October 20th: Book Review @ Karen Greco’s Blog

October 22nd: Promo Post @ Plain Talk Book Marketing

October 23rd: Book Review @ Taking Time for Mommy

About the Book

23169001Title: Drowning in Fear

Author: Majanka Verstraete

Genre: Horror, Lower Grade, Chapter Book

For as long as he can remember, Nolan has been afraid of drowning. The fear is so bad he can’t even go swimming with his friends.

In an attempt to help him get over his fears, his Dad signs him up for a summer camp near Lake Weird. Ever since Nolan heard the news, he’s been having nightmares about an abandoned cabin near a lake, and about him drowning in water thick as blood.

Nolan is certain his nightmares are related to his fear of drowning, but when he arrives at summer camp, and finds out there’s a cabin near Lake Weird that matches the withered cabin from his nightmares, he realizes something more sinister is going on.

Can Nolan find out the reason why he’s spent his entire life being afraid of drowning? How is it connected to the spooky cabin from his nightmares, and the lake surrounded by creepy, crawling mist?

Author Bio

 Majanka Verstraete PictureMajanka has a Master of Law degree, and is studying for a Master of Criminology degree at the moment.

She has written a picture book series, “Valentina’s Spooky Adventures”, of which three books have been released. She’s also working on the “Weirdville” series, a series of scary lower grade chapter books. The first three books in the series have been released, and books four to six will release in 2014.

The first three Weridville books have also been released in audiobook version.

She’s written two young adult novels. “Fractured”, the first book in the Mirrorland series was released last year and its sequel, “Reflected” will be released in 2015. The first book in YA Paranormal series, the Angel of Death Series, “The Soul Thief”, will release in November 2014.

Website: http://majankaverstraete.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4813098.Majanka_Verstraete

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Majanka-Verstraete/398570476832115

Twitter: @iheartreads

Links

Evolved Publishing: http://www.evolvedpub.com/product/drowning-in-fear/

Amazon (US): Buy on Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK): Buy on Amazon (UK)

B&N: B&N

Smashwords: Smashwords

iTunes: iTunes

Kobo: Kobo

Add to Goodreads

Giveaway

Win a $25 Amazon gift card during the tour!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Starter Day Party Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Release Day Party Drowning in Fear

September 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

releaseDIF

About the Book

23169001Title: Drowning in Fear

Author: Majanka Verstraete

Genre: Horror, Lower Grade, Chapter Book

For as long as he can remember, Nolan has been afraid of drowning. The fear is so bad he can’t even go swimming with his friends.

In an attempt to help him get over his fears, his Dad signs him up for a summer camp near Lake Weird. Ever since Nolan heard the news, he’s been having nightmares about an abandoned cabin near a lake, and about him drowning in water thick as blood.

Nolan is certain his nightmares are related to his fear of drowning, but when he arrives at summer camp, and finds out there’s a cabin near Lake Weird that matches the withered cabin from his nightmares, he realizes something more sinister is going on.

Can Nolan find out the reason why he’s spent his entire life being afraid of drowning? How is it connected to the spooky cabin from his nightmares, and the lake surrounded by creepy, crawling mist?

Author Bio

Majanka Verstraete PictureMajanka has a Master of Law degree, and is studying for a Master of Criminology degree at the moment.

She has written a picture book series, “Valentina’s Spooky Adventures”, of which three books have been released. She’s also working on the “Weirdville” series, a series of scary lower grade chapter books. The first three books in the series have been released, and books four to six will release in 2014.

The first three Weridville books have also been released in audiobook version.

She’s written two young adult novels. “Fractured”, the first book in the Mirrorland series was released last year and its sequel, “Reflected” will be released in 2015. The first book in YA Paranormal series, the Angel of Death Series, “The Soul Thief”, will release in November 2014.

Website: http://majankaverstraete.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4813098.Majanka_Verstraete

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Majanka-Verstraete/398570476832115

Twitter: @iheartreads

Links

Evolved Publishing: http://www.evolvedpub.com/product/drowning-in-fear/

Amazon (US): Buy on Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK): Buy on Amazon (UK)

B&N: B&N

Smashwords: Smashwords

iTunes: iTunes

Kobo: Kobo

Add to Goodreads

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Release Day Party Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Book Tours: Starter Day Party Weirdville

May 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

weirdvillebanner

I’m hosting the starter day party for the book tour for my chapter books in the Weirdville series: “The Doll Maker”, “House of Horrors” and “Fright Train”. I hope the tour will be a great success, so please visit all the blogs below.

There’s also an epic tour-wide giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card. Scroll down to the bottom of the starter day party to participate.

Tour Schedule

May 1st: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading  and Majanka’s Blog

May 2nd: Book Review “The Doll Maker”@ Cajun Book Lover

May 4th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ Cajun Book Lover

May 6th: Book Review “Fright Train” @ Cajun Book Lover

May 8th: Author Interview @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

May 9th: Featured Friday @ Jo Linsdell’s Blog

May 10th: Guest Post @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

May 12th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ Book in the Bag

May 13th: Book Review “The Doll Maker” @ Auggie Talk

May 14th: Character Interview and Review “House of Horrors” and “Fright Train” @ MHZ Book Reviews and Giveaways

May 15th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ Auggie Talk

May 17th: Book Review “Fright Train” @ Auggie Talk

May 20th: Author Interview @ The Writer’s Life

May 22nd: Promo Post @ The Single Librarian

May 24th:  Book Review “The Doll Maker” @ Andi’s Chapter Books

May 26th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ Andi’s Chapter Books

May 28th: Book Review “Fright Train” @ Andi’s Chapter Books

June 2nd: Author Interview @ Realm Tramper

June 8th: Guest Post @  Endazzled Reading

June 10th: Book Review “The Doll Maker” @ All Sorts of Books

June 12th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ All Sorts of Books

June 14th: Book Review “Fright Train” @ All Sorts of Books

June 18th: Book Review “The Doll Maker” and Author Interview @ Enchanted Scrolls

June 19th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ Enchanted Scrolls

June 20th: Book Review “Fright Train” @ Enchanted Scrolls

June 22nd: Book Excerpts @ Books Direct

June 23rd: Book Review “The Doll Maker” @ Iequals Alissa

June 24th: Promo, Guest Post and Excerpt @ NaYa Books and More

June 27th: Book Review “The Doll Maker” @ Brooke Blogs

June 29th: Book Review “House of Horrors” @ Brooke Blogs

July 1st: Book Review “Fright Train” @ Brooke Blogs

About the Books

Series: Weirdville

Author: Majanka Verstraete

Genre: Chapter Books, Kids Books, Horror, Lower Grade

The Doll Maker

Weirdville_Doll_Maker_300dpi_200x320Derek’s little sister wants one of those creepy-looking dolls, staring at him from the strange new doll shop in town, and what his sister wants, she gets. Now they’re stuck with a doll that looks so human, it gives Derek the creeps.

When Derek tells his friends, Martin and Jamie, about the new shop with creepy human-like dolls, they want to see for themselves. That has “bad idea” written all over it, but he takes his friends there anyway.

They meet the mysterious doll maker, who reminds Derek of Dr. Frankenstein, and who brainwashes Martin into buying one of those scary dolls. Derek and Jamie push and pull Martin out of the shop, but something isn’t right with their friend. He’s shivering all over, and he has no memory of what happened in the shop.

Martin’s condition worsens every day, and Derek’s sister grows more and more obsessed with her new doll. Derek and Jamie have to find out what’s going on, and fast, because…

…the doll maker seems linked to a bunch of mysterious disappearances, and the last thing Derek wants is his sister, or his friend, being next on the doll maker’s list.

House of Horrors

hh_5x8When her parents allow her to go to the fair, Jacky is over the moon. The fair is most famous for its haunted mansion, the House of Horrors, and her friend Ben can’t wait to try it out. Her best friend, Cass, is a little more reluctant, but then again, Cass has always been a chicken when it comes to getting scared.

Jacky and Cass are determined to act tough, so when Ben suggests they try out the House of Horrors, the girls tag along, even though the place gives them the chills.

As soon as the three of them enter the spooky monstrosity, the ride comes to a screeching halt, and the horror begins.

The lights fade, and a hooded figure appears and tells them they’re stuck in a twisted game of cat and mouse. He will show them their worst fears, and if the kids manage to face down those fears, they’ll have a chance of getting out of the House of Horrors alive. If they don’t, well….

Thirty minutes to go. Thirty minutes to face their nightmares… and the clock is ticking.

Fright Train

ft_5x8Charlie’s parents drop him off at the train station so he can visit his grandma in Weirdville. It’s a cold winter evening, so when his usual train is cancelled at the last second, Charlie wishes he’d stayed home.

An hour later, shivering from the cold, he climbs onboard the next train to Weirdville, even though he’d rather not. It looks like something straight out of the nineteenth century, as if it used a time machine to arrive at the station.

His shivering doesn’t stop, for soon after Charlie boards, he realizes just how right he was to be wary of this strange train. Something is seriously wrong with all the people onboard. If only he could figure out what was going on. If only he could get off the train

Author Bio

authorpictureMajanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library.

She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her.

She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in.

Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Links

Author Website: http://majankaverstraete.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Majanka-Verstraete/398570476832115

Twitter: @iheartreads

Goodreads:

The Doll Maker: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18163241-the-doll-maker

House of Horrors: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18518799-house-of-horrors

Fright Train: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18518899-fright-train

Amazon:

The Doll Maker: http://amzn.to/1ifFrIG

House of Horrors: http://amzn.to/1oqcwUI

Fright Train: http://amzn.to/1cWDoKf

On Publisher’s website:

The Doll Maker: http://evolvedpub.com/product/the-doll-maker/

House of Horrors: http://evolvedpub.com/product/house-of-horrors/

Fright Train:  http://evolvedpub.com/product/fright-train/

Giveaway

There’s a tour-wide giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card. The giveaway is international, and the winner will be contacted through email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Starter Day Party Tagged With: , , , , ,

Book Review: Maisy and The Missing Mice by Elizabeth Woodrum

December 20, 2013 Leave a Comment

Maisy Cover FinalTitle: Maisy and the Missing Mice
Author: Elizabeth Woodrum
Genre: Children’s Mystery
Rating:  4 stars
Purchase: Amazon, B&N
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Maisy Sawyer is not your average fourth grade student. She is a detective with a special skill for solving mysteries. She loves black and white mystery movies, cherry lollipops, and her dog, Reesie. When a thief known as The Black Boot steals the school’s mascots and her lollipops, Maisy sets out to solve the case. Can she help return the mice to their home in the science lab? Will she ever see her beloved lollipops again? Find out in the first book in The Maisy Files series.

Maisy and the Missing Mice was a short, but enjoyable read. It’ll be ideal for lower graders who enjoy a pleasant mystery. It’s not scary at all, and our detective and main character, Maisy Sawyer, will be very relatable for little kids. She loves cherry lollips, her dog Reesie, and hanging out with her best friend, Veronica. At times, she’s completely random – like any regular kid – but she does have an intelligent head on her shoulders, and she loves solving puzzles and mysteries.

Like a junior Sherlock Holmes, Maisy tries to solve the mystery involving the Black Boot, the thief who stole the school’s mascots and later on, her lollipops, threatening her he’d crush all her lollipops if she got involved. As Maisy gathers clues, she also has to deal with Veronica’s upcoming birthday party.

The book is a light-hearted, fun read. The plot moves fast, but not so fast kids won’t understand it. The main character is easily relatbale, she’s funny, and entertaining. The mystery itself wasn’t overly complicated to understand, but it wasn’t blatantly obvious either.

A great mystery read for its target audience, and enjoyable even by an older audience. It reminded me of the mystery books I read when I was younger, and seems to have that tough of magic some children’s mysteries lack. Definitely worth reading, and ideal for kids.

Filed Under: Book Tours, Chapter Books, Enchanted Book Tours, Mystery and Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Book Review: Magic in Us: The Power of Imagination by Natalie Tinti

May 27, 2013 1 Comment

Sewing-a-Friendship-2-Magic-In-Us-book 1-The Power-of-FriendshipTitle: Sewing a Friendship 2 – The Magic in Us: The Power of Imagination (Book 1)
Author: Natalie Tinti
Genre: Children’s Chapter Book
Age Group: Lower Grade
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

When a secret agent dog, Dogon, informed four best friends that Nina has a bad horrible scratch and she won’t be able to play her musical instruments, they must quickly come and make her feel better. While deciding what to do next, there’s a veritable blizzard of ideas put forth, and the girls have to sift through them all to come up with a plan of action. Together they create a magical world full of adventures where every obstacle can be overcome with mutual support and joint creativity.

Magic in Us is an inspiration for children to learn and grow into well-rounded individuals, to realize the power of friendship, to learn about the value of problem solving and discover hidden talents. It told by 10 years old Natalie Tinti. She is not only a multi-awarded talented writer, she is also an amazing artist!

 I’ve previously read and reviewed the first book in this series, Sewing a Friendship. I enjoyed the first book, but liked the second book better. Natalie Tinti has grown in the craft of writing, and it shows in her storytelling in Magic in Us: The Power of Imagination. The first book suffered a bit from sentences going nowhere, trails of thought leading to nowhere, etc. The second book doesn’t have these problems anymore. It also has a lot more illustrations, and I think those look better as well. Those illustrations, combined with the writing, must take a lot of work, and I’m curious about what takes the longest: the illustrating, the writing or the coloring.

Either way, in this story Nina has a bad scratch on her finger, which isn’t good at all, since Nina can’t play her favorite instruments anymore now. So Dogon, a secret agent dog, runs from house to house to inform Nina’s friends of her injury. Meeka, Sokron, Jonsy Jipsy and their new-found pal Kiki from the first book, get together to comfort Nina. Kiki is a bit wary about going, since she’s the new member of the group and only recently befriended them. However, the other girls quickly make Kiki feel like she’s been a member of the group all along.

The girls start telling stories about going to a magical birthday party, and each of them comes up with their own story of how they were invited and how they made it to the party in the end. The story were imaginative and fun, and something little kids would enjoy a lot.

 

Filed Under: Chapter Books, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: Sewing a Friendship by Natalie Tinti

May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

SewingaFriendship-www.natalietinti.comTitle: Sewing a Friendship
Author:Natalie Tinti
Genre: Children’s Chapter Books
Age Group: Lower Grade
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon

The four best friends, who are seven years old girls, are super excited about the start of summer! Their adventure begins with getting out of school and talking about a pink sleepover. But things do not run smoothly when nine years old Kiki, the rival girl, gets in the way by uninviting the girls to a fashion show.

First of all, Natalie Tinti wrote and illustrated this book when she was barely nine years old which, in itself, is quite an accomplishment. The book is very adequate for seven to ten year old kids. It’s about four best friends who each have a rather unique name who wonder how they’re going to spend the summer holidays. The girls are each very different. There’s Meeka, who’s a bit of a brainiac and who enjoys solving difficult math problems, wondering how much humidity is in the air on any particular day, and all sorts of other scientific questions. Then there’s Sokron Blossom, who’s parents have a harsh set of rules she needs to follow, and who loves reading fashion magazines. There’s also Jonesy Jipsy who likes to belly dance and Nina who’s more relaxed than the other girls.

The girls meet up at the last day of school, and they wonder what they’re going to do during the summer holidays. They come up with the plan to join in the fashion show, but there are some troubles with that. First of all, there need to be five of them, and one of them needs to be nine years old. All the girls are seven years old, and there’s only four of htem, so that won’t work. But then they decide to ask Kiki Shaver, who’s the meanest girl in the world (the book says that literally, and I loved the sentiment behind that sentence so much that I remembered it) to participate with them. Kiki reluctantly agrees, and by the end of the day, they all become best friends.

The concept behind the story is cute and fitting for the age group. Natalie Tinti obviously has a lot of talent. I enjoyed her ability to write a story at such young age, and to come up with such colorful characters. Her illustrations were also very colorful and kind of cute. My only comment would be that at times the story felt a bit too disjointed, I actually had to go back a few times and reread part of a paragraph because the story made some jumps here and there.

Natalie has written a few more chapter books, and I’m looking forward to reading and/or reviewing these as well. She’s created a vibrant, enjoyable series.

Filed Under: Chapter Books, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

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