I’m a big fan of this author’s Amanda series. I haven’t traveled to all the places Amanda has, but after reading the book I feel like I have. They’re so well-researched they could double as travel guides. I follow this author on social media and get to see adorable pics of her fur babies, but if you haven’t met them yet, today is your chance. Welcome Darlene Foster!
Would you rather visit a haunted house or a haunted graveyard?
A haunted graveyard. (Aren’t they all haunted? I mean, they are full of dead people, right?) I love graveyards and spend a lot of time in them. They are outside and easy to escape if things get tense. You can get locked inside a haunted house. Yikes!
What is the spookiest ghost story you’ve ever heard?
The story about a young couple who are making out in a car when they hear noises outside. When they check, there is an artificial hand hanging on the door handle. Later they hear on the news about a one-armed serial killer on the loose. That always creeps me out. (Maybe it’s not really a ghost story but it is scary)
If you could have a spooky Halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf, etc.), which would you choose?
A black cat. I have owned three black cats in my life and they were all great. Mind you, I was careful not to make any of them angry.
Have you ever travelled as research for any of your books?
I travel as research for all my books! I travelled to New Mexico to research Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind. I visited the haunted hotel in Cimarron and boy did it have scary vibes.
Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
Oh yes! My two dogs, Dot and Lia, are always pestering me for a walk just as I am at an intense part of the book.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones. There just might be some spooky parts in it, you never know.
Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several of her fellow creative students. She shares a room with Cleo, an anxious classmate who insists she sees ghosts. Although Amanda is determined to prove there is no such thing, she can’t seem to shake the feeling that something or someone is watching her.
Join Amanda, Cleo and their funny friend, Caleb, as they visit a rugged and beautiful landscape where a traditional hacienda, an ancient pueblo, and a haunted and spooky hotel all hold secrets to a wild and violent past.
Does Cleo really see ghosts? Can Amanda escape the eerie wind that follows her everywhere? Perhaps The Day of the Dead will reveal the mysteries of Taos in this latest adventure of Amanda’s travels.
Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her travel/adventure books, Darlene enjoys spending time with her family in Canada and with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia, in Spain.
Another children’s book for the young readers in your life – and what an adorable cover! This author is no stranger to paranormal encounters (I’d love to have visited the Stanley Hotel with him and his daughter) and has experienced several. Welcome David Radman!
Do you believe in any ‘mythical’ monsters like chupacabras or shadow people?
I do. In 2010 my wife and I moved into a home in Littleton, Colorado with our 5 children. During the first year we encountered numerous incidents that included all 7 of us. We witnessed shadow people in multiple rooms, moving closet doors, snoring entities on our staircase, full volume DVD players turning on in the middle of the night, our pet cat and dog hissing and barking at specific locations on our balcony, coats that we saw move on a coat rack by themselves, and much, much, more.
What is the spookiest ghost story you’ve ever heard?
Growing up in Lakewood, Colorado, just a few miles from Red Rocks Amphitheatre, I was frequently told the story of the Red Rocks Hatchet Lady. There are several variations of the story, and the woman who’s child had died up there, but it was believed that if you go to Red Rocks on Friday the 13th, and stand on the 13th seat of the 13th row, and yell out “Cry baby, cry!”, that the Hatchet Lady would swoop down from the rocks, and chop off your head. Needless to say I never had the guts to try it.
Would you rather go to a real haunted house or watch a horror movie marathon?
One of my daughters was born on Halloween, and her favorite holiday came to follow. When she was in her 20’s, I took her up to Estes Park, and the Stanley Hotel, to spend the night for her birthday, and tour this historic area. Little did I know that, not only would we encounter several experiences that night, but later, while trying to watch tv in our room, we found out that every channel they had available, were all playing a different part of “The Shining”. Knowing that there was no alternative but to watch it, I feel like I experienced a unique horror movie marathon in a haunted house at the same time.
Have you ever tried to write a novel in a genre you rarely or never read?
Although my niche is in children’s books, I do have a special place for novelists. Before I wrote any stories, my journey as an author took many turns. I began writing poetry and music, then tried my hand at screenplays. At one point I challenged myself to attempt writing a novel, but to my surprise, I just couldn’t do it. I quickly realized just how complicated writing a much longer project, with much more detail, and the expectation of keeping the reader’s attention would be. My specialty was writing shorter stories, and my utmost respect goes out to those of you who have the capability of writing a novel. There is a very special talent involved in that.
What is your kryptonite as a writer?
One of the challenges that I never expected, when I began writing my children’s stories, was how my schedule was going to conflict with my ability to sit and write. I have never been able to schedule a time to sit and write. Instead, I would often be hit with an inspiration at the most inconvenient time. Like in the middle of a meeting at work, where I would have to scribble notes on the back of receipts so as not to forget what just came to me, or at 3:00 am, where I would have to get up and go to my computer. Many of these early morning sessions wouldn’t tell me what I was going to write, only that I needed to sit down and wait. Some days it would last a few minutes, and other days I’d be flirting with being late to work.
What are you working on now?
I love that enough of my fans and followers will reach out and ask, “What’s next?” Although I have plenty of good rhyming stories written, only a few of them I feel are ready to be submitted and have illustrations begin. That being said, a part of me has wanted to break from the books, and go back to the songs I wrote in the 80’s. I didn’t have anything but a cassette copy of rough recordings back then, and now I have a chance, with today’s technology, to go back and make decent recordings, before I lose them forever. These songs I am putting on my YouTube channel, mostly for my own enjoyment and preservation. One day I might want to share those with others.
But in the world of children’s books, I have an idea of which one I’ll do next. When I would take my daughters out to play, we would get in the car and drive through neighborhoods, looking for different playgrounds to play on. So often we would meet people who would be tired of their own playgrounds, while we would seek new ones every day. That led me to write, “The Playground Hop”, which I will probably get back to in the near future.
Ready, set, boo! It’s Halloween night, and there is one house on the block that offers more than just tricks or treats. If you stop by, you might be greeted by two of the friendliest ghosts you could ever meet, and they are dying for someone to stay and play a game with them.
Meet Peek and Boo, two lovable characters who invite you into their home for some “not too scary” Halloween fun. But beware, there are many surprising things to see and do inside. If you are brave enough to stay and play, you might meet a lot of others here too. Peek and Boo will be looking for you, to share all the fun of Halloween, without all of the fright.
I am an award winning author who began writing children’s stories as a single father, when my two daughters were very young. My love of being a dad inspired me to share my creativity through the magic of storytelling. My first book, “Santa’s Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right Night Before Christmas”, won the gold medal Moonbeam Award in 2014, and was a finalist in the USA Best Books competition that same year.
In 2019 my second book, “When Grandpa Gets Going”, was published by Black Rose Writing.
In 2020 my third book, “Peek and Boo are Looking for You”, was published by Black Rose Writing.
In 2022 my fourth book, “I Bet a Dragon Could”, was published by Black Rose Writing.
I continue to write stories that I hope to be able to share in the future. I live in Littleton, Colorado with my wife and stepson.
You can learn more about me, or follow me on my Facebook page at
Today’s book can be shared with the younger Halloween fans in your life. This author is to blame for me drooling over her baking creations and recipes from around the world featured on her blog. Her favorite King novel is The Shining (a personal fav), and she’s chosen a few chilling quotes from that story to share with us. Welcome Robbie Cheadle!
Would you rather visit a haunted house or a haunted graveyard?
Michael and my new book, Haunted Halloween Holiday, is partially set in the Haunted House that is occupied by Stinkpot, the troll, his bats, and the Sugarpop Ghosts.
Count Sugular and his family are invited to a Halloween Party at the Haunted House, and they decide to turn it into a weekend adventure.
I think this choice indicates that I find the idea of a Haunted House more interesting than a graveyard.
I also constructed a Haunted House out of gingerbread which I included in this story. That house was the fulfilment of a baking goal of mine and I was pleased with how it turned out.
Which Stephen King novel unsettled you the most?
The Shining is my number 1 favourite Stephen King novel and the one that I found the most unsettling.
The book is about a man, Jack Torrance who has succumbed to alcoholism and ruined both his working and his personal life. He takes a job as the winter caretaker of a hotel in the Colorado Mountains called The Overlook. The job entails Jack living on the premises and doing various maintenance jobs as they arise, including the important job of tending to the outmoded boiler. Jack’s wife, Wendy, agrees that she and their young son, Danny, will stay with him in the hotel. This is her last attempt to save their faltering marriage.
The Overlook, however, is not ordinary hotel. It has a life force and an agenda of its own. Danny has an unusual physic ability which feeds the evil and brings to life the ghostly presences attached to the hotel.
I think the reason this book affected me so much is because it involved a small child with a power that the evil force in the Overlook wanted to possess.
The descriptions of Jack Torrance’s slow descent into madness and the way it was aided and abetted through manipulation of his weak character by the evil force was exceptionally creepy.
Jack goes over the edge and tries to murder his wife and son, but in his darkest hour, his humanity makes a final effort to save his son.
These two quotes illustrate my thoughts:
“He needs to be corrected, if you don’t mind me saying so. He needs a good talking-to, and perhaps a bit more. My own girls, sir, didn’t care for the Overlook at first. One of them actually stole a pack of my matches and tried to burn it down. I corrected them. I corrected them most harshly. And when my wife tried to stop me from doing my duty, I corrected her.”
“It was not just Danny the Overlook was working on. It was working on him, too. It wasn’t Danny who was the weak link, it was him. He was the vulnerable one, the one who could be bent and twisted until something snapped.”
If you could have a spooky Halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf, etc.), which would you choose?
I am very dull and would choose a traditional black cat like Sourball in Haunted Halloween Holiday. I am a big lover of cats so no other animal would even be in the running.
Some of the characters in Haunted Halloween Holiday feature in other Sir Chocolate books and many of them have cats as pets. Witch Goody has a grey cat who is also her housekeeper.
Sourball has a curly tail and long, sharp teeth.
Michael and my new children’s book WIP is called Dinah in Wonderland and features a number of cats who go on a fantasy adventure in Wonderland. In case you don’t know, Dinah is the name of Alice in the famous book, Alice in Wonderland.
How do you use social media as an author?
I have a day job and my time is limited so I focus on four primary social medias, as follows:
my two blogs, Robbie’s Inspiration (for children’s books, baking, cooking, and poetry) and Roberta Writes (for young adult and adult writing, some poetry, and other topics that strike my fancy);
Twitter;
Facebook; and
YouTube.
Blogging and Twitter are my primary social media, but I do like the writing and poetry groups on Facebook. I also use Facebook to stay in touch with people.
YouTube is my new interest, and I am enjoying making videos of some of my cooking experiments, visits of game farms and other vacation destinations, and readings of poems and extracts from books, both my own and other peoples.
I do have an Instagram account, but I don’t find it an interactive social media, so I mainly use it to post pictures through to Facebook.
What books did you grow up reading?
I was a big reader as a child, and I still read a lot. I am a fast reader, so I get through between 4 and 6 books a month, depending on length and complexity.
As a small girl of four, I read Noddy, Little Bear, and other simple books. I progressed rapidly to all of Enid Blyton’s younger reader books including The Enchanted Wood series, The Wishing Chair series, and Mr Pink Whistle series. By the time I was nine, I could read most books and had read my way through the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, Pollyanna and sequels, L.M. Montgomery series (Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon), Sue Barton, Hardy Boys books, Nancy Drew books, The Three Investigators, all the rest of Enid Blyton’s books, and the Willard Price animal adventure books. I also read all the Chose Your Own Adventure books and the Chronicles of Narnia. Oh, and I must forget Eva Ibbotson and her amazing books. I loved Which Witch?
I then progressed to adult books which, in those days I couldn’t take out of the local library. I resorted to reading my mom’s books behind the couch and that is when I read all of Stephen King’s early books as she was a fan. I remember being so scared while reading Salem’s Lot I had to stop in the early evening, or I couldn’t sleep at night. I also read a lot of Dean R. Koontz books, but I never liked him as much as I liked King. His style of writing was much more simplistic, and I liked the challenge of King’s doorstoppers.
Do you feel like you’d be a better writer if you wore sparkly socks during your writing sessions?
Ah, but I do wear fancy socks every day. They are not sparkly; they are colourful and have pictures on them. I have about 35 pairs and they depict every sort of creature from tigers to zebras, to birds. I also have pairs with colourful dots, cacti, cats in glasses, sunsets, cherries, and a whole lot more. I love my socks and I match them to my outfits and to my scarves. I’m the only person I know who wears their socks on the outside of their jeans and trousers.
Do they make me a better writer? I don’t know, but they make me feel happy.
Count Sugular is delighted when the Sugarpop Bats invite his family to a Halloween party at the Haunted House. He and his wife, Witch Honey, decide to hire a caravan and enjoy a weekend away with their family.
Includes some fun limericks to introduce the various characters.
Robbie Cheadle is a South African children’s author and poet with eleven children’s books and two poetry books.
The eight Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael have also written Haunted Halloween Holiday, a delightful fantasy story for children aged 5 to 9. Count Sugular and his family hire a caravan to attend a Halloween party at the Haunted House in Ghost Valley. This story is beautifully illustrated with Robbie’s fondant and cake art creations.
Robbie has also published two books for older children which incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.
Robbie has two adult novels in the paranormal historical and supernatural fantasy genres published under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle. She also has short stories, in the horror and paranormal genre, and poems included in several anthologies.
Robbie Cheadle contributes two monthly posts to https://writingtoberead.com/, namely, Growing Bookworms, a series providing advice to caregivers on how to encourage children to read and write, and Treasuring Poetry, a series aimed at introducing poetry lovers to new poets and poetry books.
In addition, Roberta Eaton Cheadle contributes one monthly post to https://writingtoberead.com/ called Dark Origins: African Myths and Legends which shares information about the cultures, myths and legends of the indigenous people of southern Africa.
I like to feature books appropriate for the younger crowd during BMR, and today’s book falls nicely into that category. This author brings my favorite zombie and some adorable furry friends (more scene stealers!) with her. Welcome Victoria Zigler!
Have you ever said Bloody Mary three times in front of a mirror?
Yes. Nothing happened. Although, I’d lost the last of my eyesight by then, so I’ve never been entirely sure if it’s because I couldn’t look in to the mirror – which meant I technically couldn’t do the thing properly – that nothing happened, or if it wouldn’t have happened regardless. To be honest, I’m also a little unsure as to whether or not I want to know the answer.
Which Stephen King novel unsettled you the most?
Confession time: I haven’t read any. Not because I’m scared to, but because I look at his list of books, am not sure where to start, and then get side-tracked by one of the other thousands of books waiting for me to read them.
If you could have a spooky Halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf, etc.), which would you choose?
If I could choose any of them, I’d want the owl. I’d love to have an owl. I’ve held one before, and their feathers are so soft. But the closest I’ve come to owning one is sometimes being able to hear one who lives in a tree across the road from my house, and I can guarantee you that’s the closest I’ll ever get to owning an owl. Well, unless I write myself in to a story where I own one, which I might do one of these days, just because I can. But that’s not the same… Not really.
Several years ago I owned a black cat though. Well, technically she was my hubby’s cat, but since we were married by that point that makes her half mine, even if she didn’t quite see it that way. Her name was Sakura, and she was a strange cat who thought she should come for walks with us and the dogs, since she was very close to the Westie we had at the time, and after she was about two years old she would only play with cat toys when she thought nobody was watching her. Here’s a photo of Sakura on one of her walks with Kero:
Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
Oh, if I had a penny for every time one of my petkids decided now was playtime, they had to go potty, etc, just as I sat down to write, I’d be rich. Not to mention all their attempts to get between me and the laptop, and how another of my cats, Megan, used to sleep on top of my computer monitor and bat the mouse pointer at random intervals, which – since I still had usable vision at that point – made seeing the screen difficult, since cat paws aren’t known for being transparent. Here are a couple of photos of Megan for those of you who love pet photos, including one of her actually on the monitor:
Do you feel like you’d be a better writer if you wore sparkly socks during your writing sessions?
Hmmm… Probably not. But sparkly socks might be fun additions to my Winter wardrobe anyhow, since I do wear socks when the weather gets colder (I stay barefoot at home most of the time, but put on socks when the weather’s really cold). Maybe I should test out the sparkly socks possibility… If nothing else it will be a great excuse to buy some. I can call it an essential purchase if it’s going to potentially help me do my job better, right?
What are you working on now?
I’m still working on getting two of the books I published last year available in audio. Besides that, I have several books in various stages of completion. This year has been a year of making small progress on a variety of projects, and finishing none of them. I’m not ready to give too much detail, since how this year has gone means I don’t feel like it’s time to share much just yet, but I will tell you they include a holiday themed collection of flash fiction, a children’s sci-fi story, and a poetry collection, among other things. Hopefully soon I’ll have one of them ready to share with the big wide world. Keep an eye on my blog if you want to be among the first to hear about it. In the meantime, I’ve written and published several books in the past, so you could always read some of those. That way you won’t get bored while you wait for my next release. No sparkly socks were written while writing any of them, but other fun socks were worn in some cases. Just in case you were wondering.
When Vinnie the zombie smashes his way in to the fruit and vegetable shop where six year old Annie is waiting in hiding for her Mother to come back for her, Annie isn’t sure what to do. But Vinnie isn’t like other zombies. A vegetarian in life, it looks like Vinnie may also be one in death, and it may not be Annie who’s in danger after all.
Despite spending far too much time in hospital, and eventually losing her sight to Congenital Glaucoma, Victoria – or Tori, if you prefer – has been writing since she knew how, with no plans to stop any time soon. She has a long list of publications to her name, including several poetry collections, a whole load of children’s stories, a story in the sci-fi and fantasy anthology Wyrd Worlds II, three poems in the Poetry Treasures anthology, and a poem in the Stand Together charity anthology. Plus, Tori’s Hermann’s Tortoise, Artemis, was featured in both the Magnificent Pets Coloring Book For Children and the Magnificent Pets Mandala Coloring Book For Adults.
Vegan due to both a love for animals and dairy allergy, as well as an Eclectic Pagan, Tori describes herself as a combination of Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter books: Hermione’s thirst for knowledge and love of books, combined with Luna’s wandering mind and alternative way of looking at the world. She has a wide variety of interests, designed to exercise both the creative and logical sides of her brain, which she dabbles in at random depending on what she feels like doing at any given time, and is most likely to be found playing with her petkids, involved in calls with the ACB Community, curled up somewhere with a cup of tea and a book, working on some kind of craft project, or trying to keep one step ahead of those pesky typo fairies while writing her own books.
Amanda explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, while being drawn into the mystery surrounding the destructive fire of Notre Dame cathedral.
Amanda is in love! With Paris – the city of love. She’s in awe of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral. While there, she gets to work as a volunteer and stay in a famous book store, along with her bestie, Leah, and Leah’s eccentric Aunt Jenny. A dream come true for a book lover like Amanda.
Except, while she’s at the Paris Opera House there is a bomb threat. Then the lights go out during their visit to the Louvre. Worst of all, a devastating fire blazes in Notre Dame. Why does a mysterious man, who claims to be a busker, writer and artist, show up every time something bad happens?
Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, all the time looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic cathedral.
Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets and sites around Paris, all the while looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic place.
I’ve armchair traveled with Amanda a few times now, and I was thrilled to experience France with her this time around.
Even though these books are geared toward the younger crowd, I learn something about the different countries every time. Here are just a few examples from France: the purpose of gargoyles, there’s a lake beneath the Palais Garnier (just like Phantom of the Opera!), and the Louvre was originally a royal palace. Evidently I never paid much attention in history class.
Amanda has a talent for attracting trouble, and she’s not in Paris long before strange occurrences begin. Why do they keep running into the same man everywhere they go? Who went through Aunt Jenny’s belongings in their room at Shakespeare and Company? Can their new friend Pierre be trusted? Amanda and her friend Leah (who’s beginning to show signs of classic teen moodiness) find themselves in the middle of a mystery all while touring the wonderful sites (and food!) Paris has to offer.
This is a fast-paced story easily finished in under two hours. I highly recommend this series as a way to introduce kids to different countries and cultures. Solving mysteries with Amanda is just a bonus.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
BMR isn’t just for adults. I always enjoy featuring books for a variety of ages, and this isn’t the first time this one has been promoted here. As a big zombie fan, I adore the idea of one being a vegetarian – what a twist! The author is certain she and her main character would get along – it’s a win/win for both of them. Welcome Victoria Zigler!
Would you rather dunk for apples or carve a Jack o’ lantern?
I’d rather carve a jack-o-lantern. In fact, I carve one most years (even the years we lived several floors up in an apartment where no trick-or-treaters were even slightly likely to show up). But I have issues with things being near my face, so the one time I did bob for apples I didn’t find it even slightly fun, and I’m definitely in no hurry to do it again. So, I think I’ll stick to carving my Mr. Pumpkin-Heads, which is what each jack-o-lantern has been called since I wrote the poem “Mr. Pumpkin-Head” back in 2008. And, just for fun, here’s the poem:
I’ve never had candy corn. The closest we have over here is sweet popcorn that’s basically caramel or toffee sauce allowed to set on popcorn, and I’m not a huge fan of it to be honest. I’m told candy corn is loads better, and it probably is, but I’m still going with candy apples, because I know I love those.
If you watch horror movies, are you the person who yells at the characters, covers your eyes, or falls asleep?
None of the above. Well, unless I’m really tired, and then I might fall asleep, but that can happen with any kind of movie if I’m tired enough, even movies I love. Usually though I’m the person sitting quietly observing, and sometimes also wondering what I’d do if I was the person currently on screen and in the same situation. I’m not sure if it’s the writer in me, the fact I don’t find most horror movies scary, or something else, but it’s what I generally end up doing. Don’t get me wrong, I love horror movies. I just don’t see any reason to attempt to hide from what’s on the screen, and know the only thing yelling at the characters will achieve is to make me potentially miss hearing something that may be happening on screen (and since, being blind, I rely on my hearing to know what’s going on, that would be a very bad thing).
Would you and your main character get along?
I expect so. Vinnie and I both love our veggies, so I’d have plenty of them on hand that he could help himself to if he showed up at my house, which would make him one happy zombie. And not being zombie-chow would make me happy too; as I’m sure you can appreciate. Both of us being happy while enjoying some fresh fruits and veggies sounds like getting along to me. What do you think?
Which book have you read more than once?
There are several I’ve read more than once, some in particular I consider favourites so constantly re-read. I’ve read the entire “Harry Potter” series so many times I’ve lost count. In fact, I’m just finishing up my latest re-read of that series. I’ve also read Michelle Pavers “Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness” series and her book “Dark Matter” a couple of times. Oh, and Jean M Auel’s “Earth’s Children” series and Bernard Cornwall’s “Stonehenge” are favourites of mine I’ve read too many times to count as well. There are others, but I think that’s enough to be getting on with.
What are you working on now?
The last two years haven’t been the best when it comes to writing progress for me, though I did manage to write enough poetry to publish some new poetry collections earlier this year. I had some genuine reasons for a lot of the time, but then procrastination took over. The result being that I’ve got a load of stories I’ve started, which I’d hoped to make decent progress on this year, but it hasn’t happened. So, what I’m actually working on right now is tackling my procrastination issues, which formed when I let genuine reasons become excuses, and allowed too much time to go by before forcing myself to put my butt back in the chair and get to work. The trouble is, I keep getting… Ooohhh… Shiny!
When Vinnie the zombie smashes his way in to the fruit and vegetable shop where six year old Annie is waiting in hiding for her Mother to come back for her, Annie isn’t sure what to do. But Vinnie isn’t like other zombies. A vegetarian in life, it looks like Vinnie may also be one in death, and it may not be Annie who’s in danger after all.
Despite spending far too much time in hospital, and eventually losing her sight to Congenital Glaucoma, Victoria – or Tori, if you prefer – has been writing since she knew how, with no plans to stop any time soon. So far she has published 11 poetry books and 46 children’s books. Tori is also a contributor of the sci-fi and fantasy anthology Wyrd Worlds II, as well as the Poetry Treasures anthology. Additionally, her Hermann’s Tortoise, Artemis, was featured in both the Magnificent Pets Coloring Book For Children and the Magnificent Pets Mandala Coloring Book For Adults.
Vegan due to both a love for animals and dairy allergy, as well as an Eclectic Pagan, Tori describes herself as a combination of Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter books: Hermione’s thirst for knowledge and love of books, combined with Luna’s wandering mind and alternative way of looking at the world. She has a wide variety of interests, designed to exercise both the creative and logical sides of her brain, and dabbles in them at random depending on what she feels like doing at any given time, but is most likely to be found playing with her petkids, curled up somewhere with a cup of tea and a book, or trying to keep one step ahead of those pesky typo fairies while writing her own books.
Most of you will probably recognize today’s guest for her children’s books and poetry collections. I had the pleasure of reading her newest release and adored it. Welcome Miriam Hurdle!
Hi Teri, it’s wonderful to be here on your lovely blog. Thank you so much for your kindness to host my Book Release Tour and allow me to share my process from pen to publication with your readers.
The Making of Tina Lost in a Crowd, Part 5
Finding an Illustrator
I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). On one blog post, it featured an illustrator and her work. I liked the style of her artworks, so I contacted her and got an idea of how much she would charge for the number of pages in my book and how long it would take to complete the job.
Some blogging friends recommended some websites with illustration services, and I checked them out. The illustrators charged by hours. They didn’t have a portfolio with sample artworks, so I couldn’t tell if I liked their style.
After much search and consideration, my decision was to search for an illustrator on fiverr.com. I could see the services they provide and their sample work. Some would provide limited, and some unlimited revisions.
I do watercolor painting and wish to illustrate my book, but I don’t do portrait painting. There are thousands of gigs out there, and it would take forever to scroll through all the pages to find one. I narrowed it down to watercolor, and children’s illustration, and got 660 services. It took me six months to find one I liked. I paid for one sample page and when I ordered the rest, it became part of my entire book.
Tina invited her friend Erica to attend a popular Tchaikovsky’s Spectacular concert on a summer evening with her parents. During the intermission, her dad left the seat to buy some snacks. Tina and Erica followed him wanting to use the restroom. The shoving crowd pushed them away, and they lost sight of him. It would be impossible to fight through the 18,000 people to find him or go back to Tina’s mom. What would the girls do?
This story tells about what happened to Tina and Erica after they got lost. Children can adapt to the learning from different situations they may observe or encounter. Adults could have discussions with the children about the situations to help them develop problem-solving skills.
My Review It’s been years since I’ve read a children’s book – and I thoroughly enjoyed this charming tale. Tina just finished third grade and is looking forward to her summer and spending time with her friend. She and her mother plan a list of activities, something I did with my sons when they were little. The family decides to attend an outdoor concert at a large venue and bring along Tina’s friend Erica. It’s a scary, but very realistic situation when the two girls get lost during intermission. In the author’s note at the end of the book she mentions this event is based on a true story involving her own daughter – a parent’s nightmare! Luckily, Tina and her parents have talked about what to do if they were ever separated, something all parents should discuss with their children.
The illustrations are vibrant and colorful and go along well with the text. With summer coming up, this would be a fun story to read with children and would also spur conversations about what they would do in Tina’s situation. This is a book I’d highly recommend to parents and caregivers of young children.
Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.
The Cat That Changed America is based on a true story, with an imaginative retelling for children, and illustrated by Louise Goves.
The book is scheduled for publication on October 22nd (P22 day in California) by Sabana Publishing.
Based on a true story with an imaginative retelling for young readers; P22 mountain lion is born in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains outside Los Angeles, California. But he is forced out of the mountains by Prime, a fierce older male lion who wants him dead. He heads east to stake out a new territory of his own in the bright lights of the big city. Along the way, he makes friends as well as enemies, and crosses two freeways, the 405 and 101. He passes through the City of Stars at night, and strolls down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, all the while trying to avoid those bothersome humans. After more adventures, he reaches the edges of Griffith Park. Can he make it his new home?
“This is an interesting tale created around an actual mountain lion born in the mountains of California. His name is P22 which comes from the region where he finally settled. The author has created an intriguing story about this animal who did an amazing thing – he crossed two highways to get to the forest area where he wanted to make his hunting ground and new home. He included a few other animals in the story with whom P22 interacted – a couple opossums, llamas and his father. . . Children will enjoy reading about P22 and cheer him on as he strives to find a new home in spite of the dangers he must face.” – Janice Spina, Children’s author.
Today’s author brings a book (a whole series!) for the younger crowd. I think her spirit animal describes her perfectly, and these questions may have sparked ideas for two more books. Welcome Darlene Foster!
Would you rather boogie down to Monster Mash or get your groove on to Thriller?
Although Thriller is a great song, I prefer dancing to Monster Mash. It’s from my youth and makes me think of high school dances and all the fun we had. Whenever I hear it, especially around Halloween, I always bop around the house, much to hubby’s embarrassment. I love the line, “Tell them Boris sent you.”
Would you rather be abducted by aliens or a serial killer?
Aliens for sure. They wouldn’t be quite as scary, at least I don’t think so. I imagine they would be friendly and not want to do me harm. They would probably just want to get to know me and how I functioned. I love making new friends from other parts of the world, or in this case, the universe.
Would you rather be part of the X-Files team or Ghostbusters?
Now that’s a hard question. I guess I would rather be part of the Ghostbuster’s team as they would be fun. Any team that includes Bill Murray would be a great team to be part of.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in the same setting, where would you choose?
What a great question. After thinking long and hard, I have decided I would pick Australia. Amanda would love it there and I would so enjoy doing research in that fascinating country. I might also take a trip over to New Zealand since I’m already in that part of the world. Gosh, then I would have material for two books! I’m so excited just thinking about it.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I would chose the hummingbird as it symbolizes enjoyment of life and lightness of being. Things I have learned about the hummingbird as a spirit animal fit with me. Things like, adaptability and resiliency while keeping a playful and optimistic outlook, independence, resiliency and being able to travel great distances tirelessly. A hummingbird is small in size but capable of amazing feats. A hummingbird is a perfect spirit animal for me.
What are you working on now?
I just released Amanda in Holland – Missing in Action, book seven of the series. In the delightful country of Holland, Amanda searches for a missing gardener, rare tulip bulbs, a home for an abandoned puppy, and clues as to why her great-uncle didn’t return from the Second World War. Is she capable of finding these missing things without putting herself in danger?
I also have just completed the first draft of Amanda in Malta – The Sleeping Lady. Leah is in trouble so Amanda flies to Malta with Caleb and his family to help her. The island country is steeped in ancient history, unique buildings and even a fascinating movie set. Amanda is determined to find out who is shooting protected birds and to solve the mystery of the sleeping lady. Next project is to edit this book.
Amanda might be off to France next, but that’s a secret.
Thank you so much for having me participate in Bad Moon Rising once again. It is always so much fun. Happy Halloween everybody! I guess I better get out my Ghostbusters costume and bogey to the Monster Mash as I prepare for my trip down under.
Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several fellow creative students. She shares a room with Cleo, an anxious classmate who insists she sees ghosts. Determined to prove there is no such thing, Amanda can’t seem to shake the feeling that something or someone is watching her.
Join Amanda, Cleo and their funny friend, Caleb, as they visit a rugged and beautiful landscape where a traditional hacienda, an ancient pueblo, and a haunted and spooky hotel all hold secrets to a wild and violent past.
Does Cleo really see ghosts? Can Amanda escape the eerie wind that follows her everywhere she goes?
Darlene Foster, a long-time dreamer and tale spinner, created the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old Canadian girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she encounters the unknown and unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. Darlene, an avid traveller herself, divides her time between Canada’s west coast and the Spanish Costa Blanca with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot. She believes that dreams do come true.
During Bad Moon Rising, I also love to feature books for the younger crowd or those young at heart. If you’re a regular at this blog, you know I’m a zombie fan (The Walking Dead season premiere is tonight!!!). But suppose you’re a zombie who doesn’t eat meat? Read today’s featured book by Victoria Zigler and find out how Vinnie deals with that particular situation. Welcome Tori!
Would you rather walk through a haunted graveyard at midnight or spend the night in a haunted, abandoned house?
I’d rather spend the night in a haunted house, abandoned or otherwise.
I’ve lived in houses that are haunted, and not lost any sleep over it, but I find graveyards creepy, even in the daytime. I’ve felt that way ever since I was a child, when we went to one to do headstone rubbings – by “we” I mean my entire class at school – and one of the boys grabbed my ankle while I was leaning over a grave to do a rubbing of its headstone. I was about nine years old. I had nightmares for several days after that, and I don’t think I ever fully got over it, since I still find graveyards more frightening than haunted buildings.
Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?
Despite my being vegan, I’d have to say definitely a werewolf. Or some other kind of were creature.
For one thing, though I read a lot of vampire fiction, I like shifters more. For another thing, I know what blood loss feels like, so am not in a hurry to either experience it myself again as a hungry vampire, or inflict it on another person.
Would you rather be part of the X-Files team or Ghostbusters?
Oh, the X-Files team for sure!
First of all, X-Files is way better than Ghostbusters anyhow. So there!
Secondly, the X-Files team gets to investigate all kinds of strange things, while the Ghostbusters are all about just ghosts. I think it would be much more interesting to be part of the X-Files. Scarier sometimes, sure. But more interesting.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in the same setting, where would you choose?
Scotland sounds good to me.
I’m not too sure what I’d write, but I’d love to spend some time near Loch Ness, and it would be a good excuse to stay there for a while. Then I could go check out some of the castles afterwards, and explore the Scottish highlands.
Plus, I need to go to John o’ Groats, since I’ve been to Land’s End in Cornwall, and they say if you’ve been to both, you’re allowed to say you explored the UK from one end to the other, and it would be cool to be able to say that.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
My mascot is my Westie boy, Castellan Keroberous – Kero for short.
Kero went over the rainbow bridge a little over five years ago, but he was special to me, and I use the publisher name “Keroberous Publishing” in his honour. I also still consider him to be my author mascot, even though he’s no longer with us. So much so, that I refuse to change my profile photos on my website, because they include him, and my official profile photo – used everywhere else – doesn’t.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I’ve got some as yet unpublished poems written towards my next poetry collection, and about six stories I started during those times when I needed to write something, but couldn’t focus on the story I was meant to be working on.
This is actually unusual for me. Not the poetry part, or even the fact I have more stories started, but the amount I have started… I don’t usually have more than about three on the go at any given time, including my main work in progress, but ended up with about seven. Um… Oops.
Sorry, but… No. I’m not telling you about any of them. None are far enough along for me to be ready to talk about them yet. You’ll have to wait and see.
At least, having FINALLY completed my pirate themed adventure story, “Voyage Of The Crimson Sail” – which will be available for purchase by the time this goes live – I’m now free to focus my attention on those other projects.
In fact, by the time you’re reading this, I will have hopefully made some progress with whichever of those I decided to pick as my new main work in progress. If I don’t get too dis… Ooohhh… Shiny!
When Vinnie the zombie smashes his way in to the fruit and vegetable shop where six year old Annie is waiting in hiding for her Mother to come back for her, Annie isn’t sure what to do. But Vinnie isn’t like other zombies. A vegetarian in life, it looks like Vinnie may also be one in death, and it may not be Annie who’s in danger after all.
Victoria Zigler is a blind poet and children’s author who was born and raised in the Black Mountains of Wales, UK, and is now living on the South-East coast of England, UK, with her hubby and furkids. Victoria – or Tori, if you prefer – has been writing since she knew how, and describes herself as a combination of Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter books: Hermione’s thirst for knowledge and love of books, combined with Luna’s wandering mind and alternative way of looking at the world. She has a wide variety of interests, designed to exercise both the creative and logical sides of her brain, and dabbles in them at random depending on what she feels like doing at any given time.
To date, Tori has published nine poetry books and more than 40 children’s books, with more planned for the future. She makes her books available in multiple eBook formats, as well as in both paperback and audio. She’s also contributed a story to the sci-fi and fantasy anthology Wyrd Worlds II, which is available in eBook only.
Books and Such 