Stories 4 You

Monday, March 12, 2018

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures

Audiobook cover reveal by

Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna

The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook.

The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim

Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for children 8-17

PREVIEW:

http://online.pubhtml5.com/ahsh/lvuy/

EBOOK

books2read.com/u/3nOPkR

Amazon b&w PRINT:

https://tinyurl.com/ybecq233

B&N b&w PRINT:

https://tinyurl.com/yaz35xs7

B&N color PRINT:

https://tinyurl.com/y7b59r75

Nikki and her impish cousin, Jack, find a mysterious black pumpkin in the forest on Halloween. A wise talking skeleton, Wishbone, tells them that the ghosts of the Trinity of Wishmothers are trapped inside. The children offer their help, so the skeleton takes them on a journey to the realm of Creepy Hollow to retrieve the three wands he hid long ago in Red Crow Forest, the Tower of Shadows, and the Cave of Spooks. On her 13th birthday, Nikki discovers she has magical powers. Nikki and Jack return to Creepy Hollow. Plenty of righteous motivations drive Jack and Nikki: they protect the weak and confront evil. They conquer their fears and gain courage, and in the final battle against Evila and her minions they grow into the warriors they were destined to become.

"I’m unable to do justice to the wealth of detail and action Szabo and Bonadonna managed to pack into this book."

~Fletcher Vredenburgh

"Szabo and Bonadonna make a great pair. Their Creepy Hollow Adventures is a perfect starting point for young children making the leap from "kids' books" to "novels."

~S E Lindberg

Erika M Szabo

WEBSITE: http://www.authorerikamszabo.com

Erika became an avid reader at a very early age, thanks to her dad who introduced her to many great books. Erika writes alternate history, romantic fantasy, and magical realism novels, as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 4-12 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them. Erika also likes to encourage children to use their imagination and daydream about fantasy worlds.

Joe Bonadonna

BLOG: http://www.dorgoland.blogspot.com

Much like Erika, Joe’s dad introduced him to books, as well as movies and music, at a very young age. He was encouraged to write as soon as he could hold a pencil. While Joe writes mostly Heroic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror and Science Fiction for an older audience, he decided to reach out to a younger audience and write something entertaining, as well as educational. In collaboration with Erika, this is his first children’s book series.

#childrensbooks #MGLit #YoungAdult

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures
Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook. The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for ch...

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Awesome cover! Let me also mention two very talented authors wrote this book! Quality children's literature!

Erika M Szabo via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Ooooh, an audiobook! This fantastic series is a wonderful tale by Erika M Szabo and Joe Bonadonna! If you have kids who like a fantasy adventure with a swirl of (safe) horror, you need this series!

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It is safe for teens, no scary horror :) Every excitement of danger and adventure (there are plenty in the story) gets softened by a satisfying outcome or humor :)

Thanks, Ruth!

Grace Au

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Congratulations Erika and Joe!

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Thank you, Grace!

Thank you Grace :)

Nikki McDonagh

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Great covers and blurb, who wouldn't want to buy these books?

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Thank you Nikki :)

Thanks, Nikki!

Mary Anne Yarde

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Lovely cover!!

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Thanks Mary Anne :)

I agree, Mary Anne. Erika really outdid herself -- again!

Joe Bonadonna

10 months ago - Shared publicly

This is lovely, Erika! I had no idea you were going to post a cover reveal for our upcoming audio book. What a nice surprise!

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I'm just full of surprises Joe :) Kidding! I'm excited about the audiobook, Pru will do a fantastic job recording our book :)

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+Erika M Szabo -- I know! Pru has the right energy for it.

Eva Pasco via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures
Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook. The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for ch...

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View all 3 replies

Thank you Eva :)

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+Joe Bonadonna, you're welcome!
+Erika M Szabo , you're welcome!

P. J. Mann via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures
Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook. The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for ch...

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Thank you for sharing :)

Thank you, P.J.

Chris Weigand via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures
Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook. The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for ch...

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Thank you for sharing :)

Thanks for the share, Chris!

Rebecca Tran

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Coming Soon to Audiobooks it Perfect for teens!

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Toi Thomas

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Congratulations on this audio book cover reveal and release. Sounds like a fun story.

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Rich Feitelberg shared this via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

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Rich Feitelberg

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Nice cover. Great job you two

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Ruth de Jauregui

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Oooo, now in audio!! Fantastic!

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Thank you!

Chris Weigand

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Looks like a lot of fun and scares.

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Thanks, Chris. Erika and I think so. I am very, very proud of the two books we wrote together.

Chris Weigand via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Cover Release for a spooky book

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

It's bonus day today at A Small Gang of Authors. Erika M. Szabo reveals the wonderful cover she designed for her and my upcoming audio book version of our two middle-grade heroic fantasies -- Three Ghosts in a Black Pumpkin, and The Power of the Sapphire Wand. Check this out, please and thank you!

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Angelica Kate via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures
Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook. The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for ch...

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Joanne Van Leerdam Author & Poet via Google+

10 months ago - Shared publicly

Coming soon!

Erika M Szabo originally shared this

Cover Reveal: Creepy Hollow Adventures
Audiobook cover reveal by Erika M Szabo & Joe Bonadonna The cover is ready for our upcoming heroic fantasy for children 8-17 audiobook. The book is being narrated by a fantastic voice-over artist, Pru Markim Golden Book Award Winner heroic fantasy for ch...

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Take Not For Granted What You Have by Grace Augustine #OurAuthorGang

Happy March, everyone!

Clover photo courtesy of crestmedia

St. Patrick's day is only a few away! Whether you wear green or orange, or drink beer, rum or whiskey...may the leprechauns bring you the luck of the Irish and may you enjoy the day. I know this paragraph may not go with the heading, but it will all tie together with patience.

I want you to pretend you are a high school graduate...free from school books, soon to be free from parents if you attend college. You have no fear! The summer is filled with carefree days of dragging main (small town antics), stopping at the local drive through for a soda or ice cream, gathering at the park, going to movies, going dancing.

Autumn comes and you pack your things. With a tear in your eye you set off on your new journey...college...where for the next 4 years you will be held captive to more school work, parties, drinking, and doing things you've probably never experienced.

You suddenly realize that you had it pretty good at home, despite the rules, the chores, the parental thumbscrews. Peanut butter sandwiches and Ramen become your daily food choices and you walk most everywhere you need to go. You really put all you have into your college major, hoping for good grades, and a good job when you graduate.

Now, you are in your mid 20's...probably with a significant person, probably working a fast food job waiting for that big one to land in your lap. You approach life cautiously, yet you still have that no fear mentality. You're still ready to take on the world.

As 30 approaches, you decide marriage and children should happen, not because you want it...or maybe you do, after all...but because all of your friends are doing it and you don't want to be left out. Then it hits...something you never dreamed of, something you didn't plan on...something now that turns your life upside down.

The tragic loss of a parent, a sibling, leaves you numb and wondering what will happen next. This causes you to hurry your life even more...gotta get married now, gotta have kids now, gotta have that house...gotta have, gotta have, gotta have...and before you know it, you are in the middle of married life, children, mortgages, financial distresses that you have no way of digging free from...especially college loans.

You try keeping it all together, and you are failing, miserably. You have no time for anything...no time for friends, no time for family, no time to nurture yourself. You notice at the age of 40 as your children are growing how much time has passed and just how much you've missed because of the essential every day needs that got in the way of the ability to breathe.

At 18, you had the security of your parents and friends and other family members who truly loved YOU and cared for you. As you matured into that married person, you brought children into the world, a part of you, and taught them all the good stuff that you could so they could function on their own...just as you did. You valued your parents, but did you? Did you really take the time to get to know their favorite flavor of ice cream? Their favorite passion? How much they gave up for YOU? Now, the children are gone. Hopefully, you are still with your spouse, and if you aren't, you've adapted to single life. Hopefully, your health is good. Hopefully you can still walk, run, take out the trash, clean your apartment, and have a social life.

We have more in front of us daily that we don't see than should ever happen. We so need to open our eyes, notice the small stuff and really cherish it before it becomes only memories we can no longer do. How does this tie in with shamrocks, you ask? Think for a moment of that photograph. What strikes you about it? What do you notice about it? Or, did you notice anything? What about the vibrant color? the clean fragrant air? the quiet surrounding you as you stand looking at that vibrant green, smelling that clean air?

March is National MS Awareness month. Aha, you say...now I'm beginning to understand...yay you! MS is an autoimmune disorder. The person's body attacks itself, leaving nerve endings exposed and spinal cord and brain lesions that prevent complete communication from your brain to the other parts of the body.

I have MS. I was diagnosed in 2003. Over the past 15 yrs. I've lost so much, but have gained so much more by paying attention to everything around me. I challenge you to do the same. Take nothing for granted, for you know not what the next moment will bring. Love your life, your friends, and your family and stop being afraid to tell them that. Tell them how you feel while you can still enjoy their company. Drop what you are doing...housework, playing on the computer, etc. None of that means anything when relationships are at hand. Take time to cherish the moments of quiet, of love, of laughter, of joy, sorrow and tears. Allow yourself to feel these moments before they no longer matter.

http://a.co/cBv18eI

http://www.graceaugustine.weebly.com

http://www.editswithatouchofgrace.weebly.com

http://www.facebook.com/grace.au.372

http://twitter.com/mallidalli

https://plus.google.com/u/0/105374467574029338866

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt_9fkJSk38

All photos used are property of the writer unless otherwise specified.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Our Guest Today is Author Sandra Bouquet Carslick #OurAuthorGang

Welcome, Sandra! We're so glad you could join us today.

I never thought of sharing my creative ideas until the universe made it very clear to me it was time. After more than 30 years in healthcare helping others through, it was now time for me to experience illness and my own healing journey. I realized I had been living on autopilot and had conveniently tossed any feelings that arose into my ‘emotional closet’. Lying in bed, experiencing incredible pain and unable to use my arms, these emotions started bubbling to the surface one-by-one. I could no longer hide or stuff them away as I had done in the past. It was time for me to experience them. This process was incredibly painful both physically and emotionally, but something amazing happened in the process. I began to feel lighter. I began to have less pain. I realized that by acknowledging these emotions and feeling them, I was releasing them from my body. I had opened my heart and I had given myself permission to feel again! The gift I was given through this journey was that moment of awareness in which my Body, Mind and Spirit was given permission to start the process of deep healing.

In This Moment…the little book of emotions came from this experience.

My passion for helping others on their healing journey has now continued in a much different

way than before. I have private CranioSacral Therapy and Energy Medicine practices in Brunswick, Maine and Tucson, Arizona. It was through this work that I was introduced to my co-author, Vicki Norton Remsen, who just happened to be a former English teacher! I’m still amazed how the universe guides us along our way. She was the missing link needed to finish and polish this project.

Sandra loves hearing from her readers and can be reached at:

Website: www.lonelotus.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoneLotus/

Instagram: in_this_moment_book

Email: sandra@lonelotus.com

http://a.co/eYDB1WF

In This Moment…the little book of emotions

This book was created to help you acknowledge and witness your emotions. Acknowledging feelings, without judging them, gives them a voice. Calling upon the pages of this book in times of need will help facilitate the shift that allows you to release these emotions and move forward in this moment.

photographs in this post are the property of Lone Lotus

Thursday, March 8, 2018

dragon mythology 1

Dragons are a common thread in many different countries' mythology. Each type of dragon is unique to the area where they originated. India, for instance, has serpentine dragons no arms or legs, and some have multiple heads.

While other dragons are much more familiar to most like a Wyvern. This dragon originates in Europe and dates back to the medieval period. It is serpent-like with two legs and wings. Wyvern or Wyvern type dragons can be found all over Europe. They were used as battle standards, on shields and coat of arms.

A common problem for many people at least here in the States is that people don’t realize that the Wyvern earned the title of European Dragon. It’s diversity and spread throughout the country far outpace its cousin the Welsh Dragon.

Most people think of the Welsh Dragon when they hear European Dragon. It's more reptilian with four legs and wings. I think for us Hollywood has defined this as a proper dragon.

Welsh Dragons have their own long, rich history though. Merlin told the Welsh King Vortigern that the red dragon defeating a white dragon in his dream represented the English defeating the Saxons. A red Welsh Dragon was also believed to grace King Arthur’s battle standard. King Henry VII even used a red dragon to support his royal coat of arms. While Welsh Dragons aren’t European Dragons, they certainly are English dragons.

If you’ve read my other posts you know I like my writing as accurate as possible. However, when I wrote my dragon shifter series Dragons of the North, I used Welsh style dragons that admittedly moved from Europe ages ago. They even admit they were European dragons. It was written primarily for the American market, and I had to go with the flow. This was one of those times I had to sacrifice reality for art.

Catch my next post in the series on March 27, 2018

Enter a fantasy where devastatingly handsome men become dragons at will. Split into four territories, their power struggles put the women they love in danger. Its the last mistake their enemy will make. A dragon will always protect their mate. After all. when you fall in love with a myth you're guaranteed a fairytale ending.

With 4 novellas and 5 sexy dragons in this set there's plenty of action and steamy romance. All of the stories have adult themes and are intended for adults. Book 3 is an MFM ménage.
Available at most major retailers

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