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The #RRBC “Spotlight” shines on author Mark Aberdeen


Mark Aberdeen is the author of Knight and Dex (The Dex Territory Series). On today’s Rave Reviews Book Club “Spotlight Author” tour stop at 4writersandreaders.com , we’ll not only have the pleasure of meeting the author, we’ll get a peek inside Book 2 of the series. Welcome Mark, it’s great to have you with us today—I can’t wait to find out more about the authors you wish you could be. ~ Bette A. Stevens

Authors I Wish I Could Be

By Mark Aberdeen

Mark Aberdeen, author of KNIGHT AND DEX

Mark Aberdeen, author of KNIGHT AND DEX Territory (Superheroes/Detective) Series

Over the years and the course of many books consisting of many words of fantastic, interesting characters I’ve found a few stories that have really stuck with me. As a kid I gravitated pretty quickly to science fiction and fantasy. It was mostly due to my dad who was an avid reader and introduced me to the likes of Isaac Asimov, Victor Appleton’s Tom Swift series, Edgar Allan Poe, The Hardy Boys, Edgar Rice Burroughs both John Carter and Tarzan, I read the Time Machine, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and the rest of the works of H.G. Wells. Later on my attention would turn to Robert. E Howard, Robert Heinlein, Philip K. Dick. These books as well as TV shows like Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, every 70’s and 80’s Saturday morning cartoon, a host of comic books and movies like Star Wars, Logan’s Run we’re all consumed with the voracious mind of a young boy and teenager. This set the foundation of my love of reading and writing. I wanted to create worlds like these. I wanted daring characters, dire situations and places that not only dove into the unimaginable but where six impossible things were done before breakfast.

As an adult I found my way over to new authors and some of them are so good that one can help but have physical reaction to it. For instance, when I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman it changed my world. Here was not just a book, but a piece of literature that was either something loved, or hated, but had a prose so beautiful it was painful. I would go on to read Stardust, Neverwhere and Sandman and everything Gaiman put to paper.

Stephen King is a grandmaster. While he has a difficult time sticking an ending, his use of description is unequalled. He can create paintings in my mind with just a few words. The man absolutely objects to adverbs of any kind. When a writer kill adverbs, it forces the author to use description. It’s the difference between a good writer and a great writer.

J.K. Rawling created a world like no other in her Harry Potter series. Here is world building at its finest. Even as fantastic and magical as her world is; it has rules. When those rules are broken there are consequences. She also filled her world with characters that one can’t help but love, or despise and she even created a character in Severus Snape was so utterly tragic that once his secret was revealed one couldn’t look at him the same way again. It was so elegant.

One hundred years from now when a future English literature class talks about books from this era; Gaiman, King and Rowling are the three who are going to be remembered. I’d love to see if this prediction holds true. I wonder if I combined their styles, would I be able to create a world that would have that answer?

Knight and Dex by Mark Aberdeen

Excerpt

Knight&DexEbookSnow settled over New London and covered the alley with a chilly blanket, which normally gave me a moment’s pause to reflect. I might have thought about tranquility, but there was nothing tranquil in the roundhouse kick I took to the face. Steam rose from crimson splatter as my blood hit the freshly fallen snow.

Minx’s claws flashed. I jumped back and narrowly avoided being torn open at the belly.

It was difficult to wax poetic while someone was doing their best to kill me.

Welcome to my life.

I swung my left fist. My intention wasn’t to connect with Minx’s jaw but to buy a precious second. The parry worked well enough and gave me the moment I needed to draw the pulse pistol from under my coat. I bellowed a triumphant, “Ha!”

My moment of glory was short-lived. Another kick connected with my right hand. The blow jarred the weapon loose and it sailed into a snow bank. Powdery snow swallowed it whole. The thing about being unarmed, it felt a bit like being naked in a crowd. No way to cover my ass.

I gripped my stinging hand. “Shit.”

A powerful arm, furry and itchy and stiff as a crowbar, hooked me around the neck. Minx had gotten behind me, and the momentum of her attack tore my feet from the ground. I cartwheeled, forcing her to detach and spring back, but I landed face-down in a heap. The snow with all its apparent fluffiness did nothing to cushion my fall. The impact rattled my bones and lights danced across my vision, swirling in loopy rings.

All I needed was another concussion.

Strong hands grabbed me by the collar and belt. My stomach lurched as I was torn from the relative comfort of the ground and flipped onto my back like a flapjack. Minx pounced on top of me and pinned my arms to my sides with her powerful thighs. Normally, I approved of such positions, but she wasn’t Pink Panther and this wasn’t foreplay. I feared she would crunch me like a walnut in a nutcracker. I gasped for precious air.

To any observer it would appear as if I were unprepared for this fight. That observer would have been correct. I’d seen her running down the sidewalk and duck into this alley. She was up to something and I’d interrupted her. Evidence suggested it was something she didn’t want the cops to know about. While my intent was to have a friendly chat with her, she’d decided to take our exchange in a different direction.

Minx had a reputation in underworld circles as an effective messenger. Our not-so-cozy encounter fell within the realm of her typical delivery method. While I didn’t feel like she took sadistic glee in her work, I thought she took pride in a job well done. I, on the other hand, found the work environment hostile, and already I was drawing up a complaint to her HR department.

Purchase Mark Aberdeen’s  Knight and Dex (The Dex Territory Series Book 2) here:

Follow Mark Aberdeen

Readers, thanks for joining Mark’s Rave Reviews Book Club AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT TOUR today. Mark and I would love to hear from you (comments below): and if you enjoyed the post, I invite you to share it with your friends. ~ Bette A. Stevens

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Written

on 02/25/2016

ONLY 99¢ February 7th-14th: DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens


DOG BONE SOUP on kindle 2Celebrate Love Month this year with a hearty helping of DOG BONE SOUP, a novel by Bette A. Stevens. The soup’s simmering and it’s on sale for ONLY 99¢ from February 7th through 14th. Set in the 1950s and 60s, DOG BONE SOUP is the coming-of-age saga of a poor boy growing up in rural New England. In DOG BONE SOUP, you’re sure to discover why “Compassion is such a beautiful thing.” Already have your copy? Please share the news with your friends!

Latest ✰✰✰✰✰ book review:

‘Wow! I don’t know where to start with this story. Every now and then a book comes along that really makes an impression on you. Dog Bone Soup is one of those books. I didn’t grow up in the 1950s, but I didn’t have to because the author put me smack-dab in the middle of them (then later in the 60s).

‘Told from oldest son Shawn’s point-of-view Dog Bone Soup is the tale of the Daniels family. Shawn is bright and intelligent, devoted to his younger siblings and his mother. He’d hold he same regard for his father if the man didn’t go on drinking binges and turn on Shawn’s mother.

‘With a father who is considered the town drunk, and a family forced to eke out a hardscrabble living, Shawn dreams of escaping and one day becoming an Air Force pilot.

‘If this story sounds bleak, it’s far from it. Rather it is a vividly told tale of a family that finds ways to circumvent the poverty in which they live. There is so much heart here—devoted, honorable characters who do what’s necessary to survive. The descriptions and the settings soar off the pages. Read Dog Bone Soup and you’ll know what it feels like to go flying down a hill on your bicycle, hike to the creek to catch fish for dinner, or turn in empty bottles for penny candy. I devoured this book in two nights. Pick it up once and it’s extremely hard to put down. Highly recommended!’ ~Mae Clair, author

If you’ve already read DOG BONE SOUP and enjoyed it, I invite you to share this post. If you haven’t tasted it yet, I invite you to celebrate Love Month by downloading a copy on YOUR AMAZON for only 99¢ from February 7th-14th.

HAPPY LOVE MONTH, FRIENDS!

Bette A. Stevens

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Book Picks, Book Reviews, DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens, Fiction, History, Maine Author

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#FREE eBook February 6–10. It’s “PURE TRASH” by Bette A. Stevens


“Beautifully Written” ~ Jo Robinson

“A Window into a Baby Boomer’s Saturday.”
~ Christina Steiner

“A child’s perspective in everyday cruelty captured beautifully…” ~ Maria Catalina Egan

PURE TRASH MustRead Prequel to DBS

PURE TRASH, a short story adventure (ages 11–adult) by Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

#FREE eBook (Limited Time) FEBRUARY 6th – 10th

In this short story adventure set in New England in the 1950s, two young boys set out on a Saturday adventure you won’t want to miss! Experience the joy of a carefree Saturday and the blistering pain of feeling not quite good enough as you hop on a bike and ride into town with two delightful young boys who find adventure at every turn. Shawn and Willie Daniels live in the woods with no indoor water or plumbing. Dad spends most of his hard-earned money on beer. Prejudice, class division, alcoholism, poverty, injustice, and bullying are cleverly woven into this 1950s adventure short. PURE TRASH is the short story prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, Stevens’s début novel DOG BONE SOUP.

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Written

on 02/06/2016

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AMAZING MATILDA, Monarch Butterflies & The Purple Dragonfly Children’s Book Award


A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpi...

A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on a leaf of the Swamp Milkweeden (Asclepias incarnata) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest recognizes excellence in children's literature.

Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest recognizes excellence in children’s literature.

AM Look Inside NEW 2015AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale is a children’s picture book about a monarch caterpillar who only wants to fly. “How can a creature without wings every hope to fly?” Matilda’s friends wonder as they laugh at the tiny caterpillar. As Matilda progresses from egg to butterfly she learns that if she keeps trying, she can do anything that she really wants to do. AMAZING MATILDA’s storyline and illustrations follow the actual life cycle of the monarch butterfly and includes milkweed, an environmentally near-threatened plant. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat.

Judges of the 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest, which recognizes excellence in children’s literature, have spoken, and AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale by Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens, won Honorable Mention in the Picture Books – 6 & Older category.

“Winning any place in the Purple Dragonfly Contest is a huge honor because in order to maintain the integrity of the Dragonfly Book Awards, a minimum score of 72 out of 80 must be earned for a first-place award, 64 out of 80 for a second place and 56 out of 80 for an honorable mention – even if it is the sole entry in a category,” explains Linda F. Radke, president of Five Star Publications, Inc., the sponsor of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. “Competition is steep, too, because there is no publication date limit as long as the book is still in print.”

The book retails for $9.49 (paperback) and $3.99 (kindle/eReader) and can be purchased on YOUR AMAZON  or ask for it at your favorite bookstore. GET the eBook for #FREE when you purchase the paperback from Amazon.

You can find out more about the author and her books…

AM Look Inside NEW 2015

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Written

on 01/28/2016

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MEET THE AUTHOR: Barbara Ann Mojica & “The Little Miss History” series


Barbara Ann Mojica author pic

Barbara Ann Mojica, author of The Little Miss HISTORY series

After reading, thoroughly enjoying and recommending several books in Barbara Ann Mojica’s Little Miss History series to friends, I was delighted when the author provided me with a copy of her latest book. As a retired teacher, I love to spread the word about wonderful new children’s books and Mojica’s series is sure to get kids hooked on history. In her latest book, Little Miss History travels to Ellis Island, the main character takes readers through the museum where we find intriguing facts, photos and illustrations encapsulating the history of Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty while uncovering the plight of many of the immigrants who entered America through its gates. Although I had the opportunity to visit Ellis Island as a teen, I discovered aspects of my maternal ancestors’ entry into the USA that I plan to research further. The Little Miss History series by Barbara Ann Mojica is a valuable collection I highly recommend to teachers and parents as a wonderful way to explore US history and excite young readers to want learn more. And, today I’m honored to have the series’ talented author here with us. ~ Bette A. Stevens http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Welcome Barbara. To start off, tell us a little about yourself.

I was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in Queens. Proud to say that I worked my way through college and was the first in my family to graduate with a degree at age twenty. Receiving a scholarship, I went on to graduate school. After college, I worked as an administrative assistant for a short time before embarking on a teaching career. I taught in elementary school, then moved to special education, and later principal and special education administrator. In addition I taught dyslexic children using the Wilson Reading Program and Applied Behavioral Analysis with autistic children. Now that I am retired, I am loving my new career as a writer for a local news magazine, children’s book writer and book reviewer.

I can see you’re a busy gal with little time for boredom to set in. How about an update on your family and community?

Barbara's granddaughter, a big fan of Little Miss History, dresses up as her favorite character.

Barbara’s granddaughter, a big fan of Little Miss History, dresses up as her favorite book character for author day at school.

I live in upstate New York in a rural area with my wonderful husband, who is also the illustrator and publisher of my book series. We write and draw from a cozy studio in our home overlooking a pretty lake. Together we have six children and seven grandchildren, including two sets of twins. I love to keep up with our grandchildren through social media. My oldest grandchild, six-year-old Ava, is a big Little Miss HISTORY fan. She made me proud when she dressed up as Little Miss HISTORY on favorite author day in school.

We live in a community filled with historic sites, which we enjoy visiting. Victor and I support local events like the Hudson Children’s Book Festival, library events, and fundraisers for literacy in and around our community. One of my goals for this year is to increase Little Miss HISTORY’s presence in school communities by doing more classroom visits.

Your books are so well researched and designed, Barbara. And the illustrations are marvelous. How long have you been writing?

I have been doing lots of writing since by college days. Majoring in History and minoring in English and the classics involved lots of term papers and research. Pursuing graduate degrees in History sharpened my focus, but I have always been drawn to children so I found myself entering the education field. As a college freshman, one of my professors told me my research was impeccable, but that my writing style was “turgid and bombastic.” I guess that helped me to learn how to be concise. I now write one page historical articles for a local news magazine, concise blog book reviews, and children’s nonfiction picture books that generally fall within the 500 to 700 word range. Aside from an article or two for a scholarly journal, most of my published works appeared in the last five years. Ninety percent of my work is nonfiction focusing on history.

Can you give us a synopsis of The Little Miss HISTORY series and tell us what inspired you to write these wonderful books?

Get the kids hooked on history!

Get the kids hooked on history!

The Little Miss HISTORY Travel s to….. is a series of books using the Little Miss HISTORY character as a guide. She looks like a wannabe park ranger with pig tails and hiking boots three sizes too big. The aim of these books is to whet your child’s appetite for visiting these landmarks while having fun learning history. My objective in writing these books is to make learning about history something other than a series of facts, but instead the story of the people and places who have formed the heritage of America.

Do you have a favorite line to share from the series?

My favorite line does not come from a particular book. Little Miss HISTORY‘s motto, “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” sums it up for me. I believe that history is our story, not a random series of events, but a process that involves the people of the past, their successes and failures, and their connections to us in the present. How we use what we learn and preserve these treasures will have an impact on what the future holds for our descendants.

How about a favorite character?

Little Miss HISTORY is the only character contained in each of the books of the series. She is a cartoon-like character based on a younger version of myself. Like Little Miss I hiked in my local area and trekked across the globe. I have visited more than fifty countries and a good number of states in America. Lately, I have been spending more time researching, revisiting and writing rather than traveling.

If I had to pick one favorite character in my series, it is Abraham Lincoln. I love the complexity of Lincoln’s character. He was a devoted father who grieved at the loss of two sons before his own death. While known as Honest Abe, he was a pragmatist who did not hesitate to use bribery to achieve his goals. Lincoln loved life; he educated himself and became a practicing lawyer. This president opened the doors of the White House to the people and listened sincerely to their ideas. He embraced technology, using the telegraph for the first time and inventing a device to move landlocked steamboats. I admire his persistence and resolve. He is a role model for me.

What do you find is the hardest part about writing your books?

For me, the most difficult part of writing is the rewrite and editing. There is so much that I would like to include in my books. While my targeted audience is children, most of the adults who use my books in the classroom or read them to children, tell me how many new things they have learned. So I do a careful research and try to bring to light information not commonly known about the historical personages, sites and events about which I write. For example, the Native American story important to Mount Rushmore, the pollution problems in Sequoia National Park, and the bravery of Alonzo Swann and his battery serving aboard The Intrepid. These things are all a part of history. The illustrations and photographs become an important part of that story and allow me to be as succinct as possible in the final word count, presenting as much information as possible in a suitable, appealing format for any age reader.

When not writing bi-weekly historical articles, researching, marketing or writing my own books, you will often find me reading other family friendly books. I post reviews twice weekly on my blog as well as review books on Amazon and Goodreads. As a retired educator and administrator, I share advice and expertise in developments occurring in elementary and special education with parents and educators.

In the evening I enjoy catching up on current events or watching movies with my husband. During the warmer months, I spend time gardening and boating. Of course I always find time to enjoy my grandchildren .

Where can readers find you and your books?

You can read about my books or contact me through my website: http://LittleMissHISTORY.COM At that site you can find reviews of my books, buying links, merchandise and more. All the books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent book stores.

Here are my social media sites where you can connect, join my mailing list or arrange a school visit.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES:

What’s next for author Barbara Ann Mojica?

MTVcvr New Book Little Miss History

                 Coming soon!

The next book in the Little Miss HISTORY Travels to series will be stopping by George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, where readers will learn about a side of America’s first president that few know much about. I have already begun working on three other books for the series, and will leave those a mystery for now….

It’s been wonderful having you with us today, Barbara—I can’t wait to follow Little Miss HISTORY as her journey through American history continues.

Readers:

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. I invite you to join the conversation (comments below) and share this post with your friends and family. Barbara and I would love to hear from you.

Happy Reading!

Bette A. Stevens

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Written

on 01/13/2016

Announcing new #fictional #thriller: HIS REVENGE by John W. Howell


“If you’re looking for a captivating new thriller, you sure won’t want to miss this one.” ~ Bette A. Stevens

His Revenge  by John W. Howell is now available in paper and e-book on Amazon.

His Revenge front finalThe sequel to My GRL titled His Revenge is available and a new story continues where My GRL left off.

His Revenge is now available

Book Blurb

America loves John Cannon—its newest hero—and the President wants to present him with the highest civilian medal for bravery for saving the Annapolis midshipman from a terrorist plot to destroy them. While in Washington for the award ceremony, John unwillingly becomes an accomplice in another plan by the same group to attack the credibility of the US President and the stability of the worldwide oil market. There is no way out as John either becomes a traitor to America or causes thousands of innocent people to die if he refuses.

The second John J Cannon Thriller moves from a barrier Island off the coast of Texas to Washington DC, then to Northern California, and finally to Ecuador. John is on the receiving end of an offer he cannot, refuse. His avowed enemy Matt Jacobs now wants John to help him shake the reputation of the US in the world political arena and disrupt confidence in the government at home. If John refuses, Matt plans to murder innocent Americans including John’s latest relationship. John’s only way out is to pretend to go along with the plan and hope for a miracle.

Excerpt from Chapter one

The water rushes over my head. I’m sinking and don’t know why. With my breath held, I have trouble stopping the air from escaping since the pressure drives the air up and out. I try to keep my mouth closed, but the water pressure pushes the air out more and more. Will I pass out? In the distance, the light is dim. To rise to the surface in time might not be possible─I need to breathe right now. Toward ending the pain in my chest, my rambling mind rationalizes taking a deep breath—even knowing it will end my life. In conflict with the irrational thought of ending it, my body won’t let me suck in the water, as it fights to retain the little bit of oxygen left to fuel my brain.

The despair is nearly overwhelming, and my mind considers other ways to battle the feeling. What more could I have done with my life? The pressure becomes more intense, and I’m about to lose it all, and I decide I’ve lived the way I wanted and have no regrets. I close my eyes and hear only the roar of the sea. I’m so tired. Exhausted. Sleep will fix everything, and I want to give in.

About the Author

Photo by Tim BurdickJohn W. Howell’s main interests are reading and writing. He turned to writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive career in business. John writes fictional short stories and novels as well as a blog at http://www.johnwhowell.com. Howell lives on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of south Texas with his wife and spoiled rescue pets. The author can be reached at his e-mail johnhowell.wave@gmail.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/john.howell.98229241 or Twitter at @HowellWave

My GRL_johnwhowell

John W. Howell’s  first novel, My GRL is available on Amazon and wherever e-books are sold.

 

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Celebrate Autumn with a Monarch Butterfly Adventure! AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens Only 99¢ October 21-25


AM Celebrate Autumn DROP SHADOW 2015 bas

To celebrate the season’s great Monarch Butterfly Migration, AMAZING MATILDA by Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens is on sale for only 99¢ from October 21—25. Find out more about our amazing monarch pollinators and download your copy of Bette’s award-winning picture book today!

Monarch butterflies are a near-threatened species. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat.

Eighth-generation (2015) monarch butterflies in the US and Canada are migrating south right now—destination: Mexico and California’s coast where they will over-winter before mating to create the first generation of monarchs for the northern migration that begins during the spring of 2016.

 Celebrate the Great Migration with AMAZING MATILDA

Kindle version only 99¢
October 21—25, 2015
at Your Amazon

About the book

AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens (Ages 4-11 + grownups love it too) Friendship, patience and persistence are among the lessons learned in this gem of a tale featuring an amazing monarch butterfly. This award-winning picture book adventure follows the monarch’s life cycle as Matilda embarks on a quest to make her dream of flying come true. Matilda emerges from her egg on a milkweed leaf—she stretches and yawns and knows she wants to fly. Sparrow tells her to follow her dreams. Toad and Rabbit laugh at a creature without wings who wants to fly. You’ll be as amazed as Toad and Rabbit are as you follow Matilda from egg to imago. Science, art and wise lessons for children—all wrapped up in a tale the kids will want to read/hear again and again!

Latest 5✰ Book Review

AM cover with Monarchby T. Sanders (October 18, 2015)

As an early educator for nearly fifteen years, I am always seeking new books to share with my children. I stumbled upon this book and because I adore butterflies, I just had to give it a try. What I discovered is that this is not just another children’s book with pretty pictures and an engaging story line. It has a subtle, yet powerful underlining theme of perseverance, patience, and believing in oneself. The language isn’t too sophisticated for the targeted age group, yet it’s written in a way which would also cause parents to not be annoyed in having to read it ‘just one more time’ at the pleas of their little ones.

I own the Kindle and paperback version of this book now and I display it proudly in my classroom with my other favorites such as ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and Dr. Seuss classics. With all the ridiculous contemporary children’s books being released, which have no positive message or valuable information in them, it’s refreshing to find a gem like this one to add to my library.

Download your copy of “AMAZING MATILDA”

ONLY 99¢  OCTOBER 21—25
(OR: Purchase paperback and download the eBook for FREE
any time) at YOUR AMAZON

About the author

BAS Author logo stamp 2015Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies—an endangered species (and milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Stevens is the author of AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning picture book; The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!, a home/school resource incorporating hands-on math and writing; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to her début novel, DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming of age novel published in January 2015.

Please share this post… Monarch butterflies are a near-threatened species. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat.

FIND OUT MORE: Monarch butterflies could get endangered species status

  • Download Bette’s FREE pdf for amazing links to:
    ★Monarch Facts
    ★Coloring Pages
    ★Crafts
    ★Gardening
    ★Video: How to Make an Origami Butterfly
    ★Butterfly Teacher Guide and more…
    ★Find out how you can help protect our Amazing Monarchs
    https://4writersandreaders.com/fun-learning-with-monarchs-2/

  • Bette’s Books

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Written

on 10/21/2015

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MEET #RRBC “SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR Christa Nardi


Christa is our “SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR for the week of October 11 – October 17

Welcome, author Christa Nardi. It’s a pleasure to host you on your Rave Reviews Book Club “Spotlight Tour.” I’m looking forward to finding out more about you and your mystery books, meeting some of your characters in today’s interview and introducing all of you to our readers at http://www.4writersandreaders.com.  On with the tour! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

Author Photo CHRISTA NARDIA

“SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR—Christa Nardi

The Characters of the Cold Creek Mysteries Series:

Book Covers CHRISTA NARDIA

Interview with Sheridan Hendley

Thank you for meeting with me today, Sheridan. We wanted to talk today about the recent murders here at Cold Creek College.

Not a problem. What can I tell you?

Can you tell me about your role in relation to the murders here at Cold Creek College? How did you get involved?

I’m the lead faculty member for the campus crisis response team. Last fall, when Dr. Millberg was murdered, the Department Head, Jim Grant, assigned me to help the State Police Detective gather information. He wasn’t familiar with the college or how faculty interacted.

I see. Was that your only motivation?

Honestly, that was how it started out. Then, my close friend Kim was the prime suspect. Add in a healthy dose of my own curiosity, and identifying all the connections and issues became a puzzle to be solved.

Didn’t that put you in danger?

I didn’t think about that at the time. I wasn’t following people or actively involved in the investigation. I asked questions of some and others, like the student involved, shared information with me. I connected dots but had no idea I would be in danger or the complexity of the problems and motive for the murder.

And the murder of Justin Blake?

Chief Pfeiffe was looking for a scapegoat and Mr. Johnson was convenient. It was evident to many of us that he was innocent. We needed to find ways to counter the mindset that because Mr. Johnson was there to discover the body, he was the murderer. Again, I kept asking questions and connecting dots. I was more aware of the danger but my curiosity got the better of me.

In both cases, you worked with Detective McMann? How did that work out?

(smiling) Very well. With both cases, Brett – Detective McMann – asked for my opinion and listened to what I came up with in both situations. We became “friends” after Dr. Millberg’s murder; however, he is always professional. Brett and Officer Hirsch offered self-defense classes after I got assaulted. Several of the faculty, staff, and students took the class. There will be refresher classes soon.

Do you think you will be involved in more murder investigations?

I never plan to be involved in investigations, but if someone I know is involved, like Kim or Zoe, or if someone asks me to help out … even if I’m not actively involved, I’ll be trying to figure it out.

Thank you for your time, Sheridan.

An excerpt from MURDER AT COLD CREEK COLLEGE:

From Chapter 1

I nodded and then checked the next open door. Unfortunately, it was Max’s office. I knocked. He swiveled around, his black hair somewhat uncontrolled and in need of a cut. I must have startled him. His brown eyes opened wide.

“Sheridan, you wouldn’t believe. I‘m ready to get this experiment going, and somehow the materials I ordered haven’t come in. Terra told me I didn’t have enough money in my account, and that’s not right! I don’t know what her problem is,” was his opening tirade. Max was the other experimental psychologist in the department. He was by far the one most interested in research .

“Yeah, well, Terra and Ali do the books. They would know. Maybe you didn’t figure right what you had in your lab account. I bet they can give you a full accounting,” I suggested. Max tended to have these tantrums a lot. He was relatively young and had come to Cold Creek straight from graduation the year after me. He had big dreams of doing enough research to get to a better university.

“You doing okay otherwise – you know with the rec center and all,” I asked.

“Oh, I gave up on the rec center last year. Too crowded. I joined a private club where I don’t have to deal with the students. At the rec center, they always tried to talk to me. Are you looking for a place to work out?” he asked, oblivious to the excitement on campus. But that was not unusual for Max. Unless it was going to directly affect him, he didn’t seem to know about it. Now, if he had wanted to work out today, he might have been more interested.

“Uh, Max, someone died at the rec center this morning,” I offered as gently as I could.

Jumping out of his seat, he proclaimed, “I knew it, I knew there were safety problems. I knew those students would wreck something! See what I mean?”

“Max, someone was murdered. It wasn’t an accident,” I added. I wondered at the fact that he hadn’t asked the obvious question of who? It was certainly the question I wanted answered.

“Oh. Well, it better not get in the way of my lab work. I’d love to chat with you Sheridan, but I have work to do,” he responded. With that, he sat back down and turned back to his computer. Good thing or he would have seen me shake my head in disbelief. It was also probably a good thing that he did research with rats or mice, examining their use of cues, learning, and such. He sure didn’t seem interested in people and didn’t always pick up on social cues. I made my way back to my office with a wave at Kim. I also quickly let her know that it wasn’t Jim, Doug or Max who was murdered.

Check out Christa’s books:

  • Murder at Cold Creek College (mystery, women sleuths, cozy)
  • Murder in the Arboretum (mystery, women sleuths, cozy)

Buy Links:

Follow Christa Nardi:

About the Author

Christa Nardi is and always has been an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery/crime authors over time, but mystery/crime along with romance and scifi/fantasy are her preferred choices for leisure reading. Christa also has been a long time writer from poetry and short stories to the Cold Creek series, Christa has joined many other reader/writers in writing one genre she enjoys reading – the cozy mystery. The series started with Murder at Cold Creek College; Murder in the Arboretum is the second in the series. Murder at the Grill is expected to be published in November 2015. Christa Nardi is a pen name for a real life professor/psychologist from the Northeast who is well published in nonfiction and technical venues.

Murder at ColdCreekCollegeBook Blurb:

Murder at Cold Creek College

on sale 10/12-17/15

Sheridan Hendley is a professor and psychologist at a prestigious college. Although she is not a sleuth, when her colleague Adam is murdered, her department head assigns her to assist the detective and help gather information. Unfortunately, her close friend, Kim, quickly becomes the prime suspect. As Sheridan draws connections between the people in Adam’s life, she realizes many women have a strong motive for Adam’s murder. Slashed tires are the first indication that her involvement is making someone nervous. The next indication is not nearly as subtle.

***

We invite you to follow Christa Nardi’s SPOTLIGHT Tour at https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/spotlight-authors/

Dear Readers, thanks so much for stopping by my blog for a visit today. Christa and I would love to hear from you (Comment Section below). Happy reading! ~ Bette A. Stevens

[Visit Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 10/15/2015

Aside

Celebrate the Season with ‘DOG BONE SOUP’: Grab it for only 99¢ from October 3~7


First, you can read “An Apple Picking” excerpt from DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens right here.
Only 99¢ for the whole story from October 3—7!

“The other America, the America of poverty, is hidden today in a way that it never was before.  Its millions are socially invisible to the rest of us.” — Michael Harrington
DBS Apple Picking Excerpt bas

DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens
ONLY 99¢ for 5 days: October 3—7
Grab a copy today on YOUR AMAZON!

DOG BONE SOUP is a fictional story of the survival and the triumph of a boy who overcomes the odds of repeating the pattern of poverty in his own life back in the 1950s and 60s, an era when most families were living The American Dream.

Unfortunately, DOG BONE SOUP is as relevant today as it was in the 1950s and 60s. Fortunately, we do have the opportunity to change these statistics today. As caring and concerned adults, we can all make a difference—one child at a time.

Meanwhile, savor “An Apple Picking Excerpt” from DOG BONE SOUP…

Right after school the next day, Willie and I grabbed two empty bushel baskets and headed over to Alvina’s place. We planned to fill ’em up over the tops.

“Hi, Mrs. Stevens,” I said when she opened the door.

“What on God’s green earth do you two want?”

“Saw your trees out there with branches tippin’ to the ground. Wondered if we could pick some apples. If you like, we’ll pick some for you too.”

“Hell, no! Those apples are mine and they ain’t goin’ to some white trash that lives down the road. I’ll have ’em rot before the likes of you gets a one. Now, get the hell out of here and don’t come back. My shotgun’s standin’ in the corner and I’m not afraid to use it. Now, git!”

We trudged back to the Buick, drove the quarter mile home and headed out to the garden to see what we could rustle up—a bushel of onions, a bushel of potatoes, half a bushel of carrots and fourteen Hubbards.

“Gotta head out to pick Mum up, Willie. You lug in the water and have the girls feed the chickens.”

Told Mum about it all soon as she slammed the Buick’s door.

Mum braided the onions and hung them down the basement so they wouldn’t rot. She had Willie line the Hubbards up around the edge of the kitchen floor without touching to keep them from rotting.

“I don’t think we have much grain left for the chickens and we can’t afford to buy any. Drive down by Bull’s Butcher after school tomorrow and get us as many dog bones as he’ll let you have. I can do a lot with those bones.”

So there we were, back to those god-awful stinkin’ dog bones. Mum boiled a big pot of ’em up that night. She scraped off what little meat was on them and separated out the fat to fry. We ate the crispings with our fingers. The meat scraps went back into the kettle with carrots, onions and potatoes and that was our supper for weeks on end.

Still, I had a plan.

“Hey Willie, let’s head over to Alvina’s after dark. We’ll park this side of her place, sneak into the orchard and snitch us some apples. We can lug ’em back to the Buick and Alvina’ll be none the wiser. What do you say?”

“You bet!” Willie was rarin’ to go.
###

Tell your friends all about it…

And don’t forget to grab your copy of DOG BONE SOUP for only 99¢ at YOUR AMAZON today!

Let’s all throw kindness around like confetti! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
KINDNESS & CONFETTI

DOG BONE SOUP on kindle 2

 

 

Author Bio

BAS Author logo stamp 2015Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies—an endangered species (and milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Stevens is the author of AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning picture book; The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!, a home/school resource incorporating hands-on math and writing; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to her début novel, DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming of age novel published in January 2015.

DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens
“Throw kindness around like confetti!”
ONLY 99¢ for 5 days: October 3—7
Grab a copy today on YOUR AMAZON!

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

Written

on 10/03/2015

Book Review: Dog Bone Soup by Bette Stevens


READ THE REVIEW & AN EXCERPT from DOG BONE SOUP: “THE BUICK,” too! ~ Bette A. Stevens
REVIEW EXCERPT by N.A. Granger, author of The Rhe-Brewster Mysteries as well: Dog Bone Soup is a gem of a book, fast paced, entertaining, and moving. I loved it and devoured it in two sittings (I had to stop to eat!). Bette Stevens is a talented storyteller and I hope we will have another book from her soon.

Five stars!

noelleg44's avatarSaylingAway

Dog Bone SoupI grew up in New England the 1950s and ‘60s, and Bette Stevens has written a coming of age novel about a life I wouldn’t recognize. Call me lucky. Shawn Daniels, the oldest of several children, lives in poverty. His father is the town drunk and beats his mother, who struggles to keep the family together in an unfinished, tar papered house with no indoor plumbing, running water, and heat. They have a TV but that’s for the enjoyment of Dad. Shawn and his brother Willie do all his chores: cutting and stacking firewood, hauling water into the house, and helping mind their two younger sisters. Despite the curtailment of a real childhood, the brothers still find a way to have adventures in small pockets of time, fishing for one, with a home-made pole and a safety pin for a hook. Dog bone soup, made from the marrow in left…

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