by Deborah Serani

This book has wonderful illustrations depicting the emotions of the child experiencing anxiety and worry. What I love about this is the pictures are done in a soft watercolor style. They emit a calming  vibe to the story.  The child goes through several situations where she experiences worry, fear, or anxiety. Each time a family member gives her a coping mechanism to help relieve the situation. There is also a guide at the end to help  caregivers or teachers assist a child in those types of situations. This would be a great book to start a conversation with a child you feel may be experiencing anxiety or fear but does not know how to voice it. 

by Beverly Schmitt

Bo is a fluffy dog that loves, treats, naps, belly rubs,toys,  and Ally. When Ally suggests they do something different, Bo gets worried. Ally thinks they will have fun at the park. Bo doesn’t want to go anywhere new or ride in the car. With Ally’s encouragement he goes to the park and has fun. Ally gives him encouragement and helps him overcome  several situations that day. At the end of the day he had a great time and was so happy he tried new things. 

This book has wonderful illustrations that move the story along and show the emotions of Bo. This would be a great book to use with  young children to encourage them to try new things and also show them how an anxious puppy overcame his fears.

 by Cynthia Kern OBrien

Marky, the fairy has red hair, freckles, glasses, and one wing is smaller than the other. Nonetheless, Marky is magnificent ! She loves to play, watch fireflies, and is very kind. One day while playing the woodland creatures make fun of her. Marky stands up for herself and shows them how they are similar. She also tells them about her friends that have other abilities. Even though they are different, they too are much like the woodland creatures. Marky’s kindness in explaining the differences and similarities help the woodland creatures to understand and accept Marky and her friends.

This is a lovely story about children, disabilities, bullying, and kindness. It is a perfect way to foster conversation with children about others that may have challenges. The illustrations are beautiful and really add to the story. I would recommend this book for parents, teachers, and public libraries to have on hand to help children others with differences.

by Pauli Rose Libsohn

Penelope loves celebrating her half birthday and Mother’s Day with her parents. She has a surprise she has carefully made for her momma. Her parents have gifts for her as well.  As the day progresses they visit a neighbor and later make a cake. The celebrations continue with sweet interactions between Penelope and her parents. 

The artwork in the book is very nice and flows well with the story. I did find the random capitalization of  lots of words very distracting. I imagine this was done for emphasis but there are so many, that in my opinion, they become distracting.

Indie Author Book Reviews Says…….

This delightful rhyming book is an early introduction to basic science. By telling the story in a ballpark setting, students are introduced to the basic forms of matter; liquid, gas, and solid. The colorful and fun illustrations will keep the reader’s attention. This is a great book for K-2 students. #k-2 #homeschool #stem

About the book.…..

There is much to see at the ballpark, and it all matters because it’s all matter!

In this fast-paced rhyming story, science and baseball fans alike will be pleased to have front row seats to view all the matter – whether solid, liquid or gas – that makes up what truly matters at the ballpark and beyond. As the camera zooms in on instant replay, things slow down long enough to see all those atoms in motion. The scoreboard, a slushie, and even the air – wherever you look, it’s matter in there.

With cleverly constructed, action-oriented illustrations that make learning about science simple and fun, this book knocks matter out of the ballpark and is sure to score a homerun with enthusiastic young readers.

About the Author

Catherine Ciocchi teaches high school Earth Science and loves rhyming about science concepts. Her book Science Matter and the Baseball Park uses a clever combination of science and baseball that makes this picture book a homerun. This Land is your land is a rhyming picture book that introduces landforms in a way that shows readers the land is theirs. Catherine is married with three sons and enjoys her beautiful view living in the Hudson Valley, New York

Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers is FBI Forensic pathologist and special agent with an uncanny sixth sense for bringing murders to justice.

During a vacation in Belize with her young son, Joey, Cat gets a phone call from her boss. Young prostitutes are being picked up, murdered and left for dead in the Florida Everglades. The first victim does not fit the killer’s modus operandi. She was a legal secretary working for the Fort Lauderdale based international law firm, Black and Knight.

As Cat investigates this and other deaths, they lead back to the firm’s henchmen and to its partners. With the help of another firm employee, Cat discovers a secret web of murder, illicit drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking, corruption and more. The firm’s partners intend to kill anyone who can lead the law back to them, including Cat.

As the body count grows, powerful people will make decisions that will change lives. Decisions that will destroy families. As Cat uncovers the conspiracy, only one partner, the mastermind, will become Cat’s ally. She will walk away, after seeing that the others are brought to justice.

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, http://www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:

Author website: http://solangeritchie.com

Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486

Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor

Kathleen Gray—talented, a little wild, at times rebellious, but always popular—has a fun, easy life in rural Somerset, with a doting family.

Suddenly, they are gone, everything is changed, and she has only Uncle Jack. Try as he might, he cannot be father and mother to her—he has a business to run and his own life to manage.

Kathleen takes a chance and becomes Kate Westfield, fending for herself in London, with a new life built on her hopes and dreams and new friends. She could hardly have imagined that one of those friends has a shoebox full of answers.

L.B. Griffin was born and raised in the UK. She is married and came out of retirement when she received a contract for her debut novel. Griffin loves to write stories to touch people’s hearts, She draws upon social issues that are often hidden in deep drawers but readers can identify with. Her women don’t see themselves as courageous, strong, or survivors, but they certainly are.

Her debut, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox has received superb 5 star reviews, amongst them Whispering stories and VINE VOICE reader/blogger Michelle Ryles, singing high praise: ‘Incredibly well-written, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox is a magnificent debut. It’s a poignant, disturbing and a heart-warming page-turner that has left me chomping at the bit to continue Harriet’s story.’

The sequel, and also standalone – The Twenty-One-Year Contract, is already receiving fantastic five star reviews such as: VINE VOICE “This book will have you laughing, crying and cheering.”

L.B. Griffin continues to turn silent stories into courage, hope, and survival. Be warned, she is a self-confessed chocolate-raisin and strawberry addict!

Author Links:

Instgram www.instagram.com/lynngriffinauthoruk

Facebook www.Facebook.com/lynngriffinauthor/

Twitter www.twitter.com/lbgriffinauthor

Website www.wifeinthewest.com

Charlie Kingsley’s tea customers have two things in common:

They rave about her teas.

AND they have a knack for attracting trouble.

There’s never been a connection between the two … until now.

One night, one of Charlie’s customers passes out, only to wake up to her fiancé dead in her home and no memory of what happened the night before.

But one thing she DOES remember is drinking a cup of Charlie’s tea.

Charlie knows it wasn’t the tea, but everyone else is suddenly blaming her, so she has no choice but to get to the bottom of this mysterious death.

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links

Website – https://mpwnovels.com/
Facebook – facebook.com/michelepwauthor
Linked In linkedin.com/in/michelepw
Twitter – twitter.com/michelepw
Instagram – instagram.com/themichelepw
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/red-hot-murder-charlie-kingsley-mysteries-book-6-by-michele-pariza-wacek