End of the year Children's Book Round Up

Words of wisdom, whimsy and wonder fill this collection of tall tales and silly stories. As you wander through the pages you just may come across a rare Giraffapotamus, or meet The Remarkable Hector McTwee, and maybe even take a ride on a Unicornicycle. There are Cannonballs and Cartwheelers, Tree Climbers and Trampolinists, Moon Swimmers and Moose Riders, and an amazing assortment of funny, strange, and unforgettable rhymes that will have you wondering just what's coming next. A timeless collection of poems and art keeping the tradition of hardcover books and bedtime reading alive. This is the first in a projected trilogy which will include the sequel Running To The Sun, to be followed by Sailing To The Stars. 

In the spirit of the wonderful books by Shel Silverstein, these beautifully illustrated verses and story-poems come to life with memorable characters and messages that will appeal to youngsters, parents, grandparents, adults, teens, and basically children of all ages. This poetry collection will become a favorite that you will turn to again and again, for bedtime reading, family time, or if you just need a smile to brighten your day.

Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review: What a delightful and fun collection of poems and stories.  I was laughing and smiling the whole time.   Some of my favorites are:  Planting Jellybeans, Everybody Needs a Nap, Where Did Summer Go and Getting in Shape, just to name a few.  There is so much imagination in the stories.  The pictures are just as fun.  This collection is the best of bedtime stories and a book to hand down to your children.  I absolutely adored it.  It brought me and my boys together and I love that we have started a new book for bedtime reading.  We have added it to our rotation, which only contains our FAVORITES!!!  McMahon has been compared to Shel Silverstein and that is not to far off.  If you love whimsy and fun this book is for you!  I CANNOT wait for the installment: Running to the Sun!!! 5 stars to the moon and back!

Who's the greatest slugger of all time, Babe Ruth or Ted Williams? Where do Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr. rank on the list of the best shortstops? At third base, would you rather have Mike Schmidt or Brooks Robinson? Is Fenway or Wrigley the better ballpark?

This book will end many arguments-and start some new ones. Sports Illustrated's has polled its Major League Baseball experts to determine the ultimate Top 10 in more than 20 categories. The rankings appear alongside stunning photography and classic stories from SI's archives. This is the best of the best in the major leagues, or, more simply,Baseball's Greatest.

Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review:   Amazing!  Not sure there are words for this other than AMAZING!  It is the GREATEST baseball book ever, really!  It has so much info, great pictures and so much more.  You want it, this book has it...top 10 in over 20 categories. For fans of baseball it may contain more than just facts, but arguments between you and your buddies...Who is the greatest?  Sports Illustrated knocked it out of the park with this 5 star book!  A MUST have!

One of the baby birds seems to be missing. His greedy siblings have pushed him out of view! A tale of sibling rivalry and their parents love for ALL their offspring.

The series of high-quality photographs accompanied by the simple rhyming tale provide a rare opportunity of a 'birds-eye' view into the nest. The reading content is aimed at 3-5 year-olds, but the photographs and the story that they tell will fascinate all age groups. The length and content make it a perfect bedtime story, a great start for beginner readers and a superb study of the natural world that demonstrates how care and compassion persists amongst even the tiniest of creatures. 

Steve Larkinson spotted this family of swallows in the eaves of a small bakery in south-west France and this delightful story unfolded as he photographed them. Kate Larkinson added the words in rhyming couplets and created the book.

Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review: I love birds!  Look at my blog...OWLS!  I love stories about birds and Little Bird Lost is an adorable story with real bird photographs.  It was silly and cute.  The little baby birds have so much personality.  A wonderful stories for young children.   4 stars

 

This is the first book of the series, Savannah Friends, and tells the story of Zips the Zebra and how, after being told by his mum about the dangers of walking off alone, decides to go on adventure by himself only to end up in trouble!

After getting chased by a hungry lion and crocodile it is down to Zips to find his way back home by asking his friends. 

Zipping across the savannah from friend to friend Zips finally manages to find his way home and back to the safety with his mum. 

Through rhyming and bright, exciting pictures Zips has proven exciting for many young children and their parents find it a useful tool to teach their kids about the dangers of wandering off alone and what to do if they get lost.

Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review: What happens when Zips goes wandering???  You will soon find out in this beautifully illustrated storybook.  I plan to create an art lesson plan around this book for my Art Through Stories class because there is such richness in the story.  It was one of those books that takes you on an adventure where you meet some great characters along the way.  4 stars

BUY THE BOOKS:

Buy Zips Goes Wandering HERE

Crispy Green: Delicious and Healthy Snacks to Start the New Year!!!

Do you have a New Year's Resolution to eat better, live healtier????  Are you going to crave something sweet and healthy – Crispy Fruit 100% natural, freeze-dried fruit slices are perfect for you!!! These sweet, succulent, light and crispy snacks are less than 55 calories a bag, making for a healthy and delicious New Year's resolution snack for all! And their convenient size makes it a perfect goodie to take along anywhere.  Grab a bag (or two) and toss them in your purse or car for a travel-sized go-to snack during those hungry times at work or while on the road, and don't forget a few bags for during those trips to the gym...you need to refuel after your workout without ruining your hard work! You can even give some to friends.  

In addition to the newest flavor, Crispy Fruit Tangerine, you can choose from any one the following flavors: apple, pear, mango, pineapple, banana, and cantaloupe.

I was able to sample:  Apple, Mango, Pineapple and Tangerine!!!

So yummy!!!

They were very large pieces, not crumbs!!!

My FAVORITE flavor!!!

My Review:

I LOVED this snack.  I am a huge fan of dried fruit but sometimes it can fall sort of expectations, but Crispy Green exceeded my expectations.  Every flavor was delicious.  I sampled pineapple, tangerine, mango and apple.  I really enjoyed all the flavors, but pineapple was by far my favorite!  All the kinds had large pieces, great texture and tasted quite amazing.  This will become by go to snack in 2014.  It will keep me on track while feeding my sweet tooth.  5 yummy stars!!!

About Crispy Green
Crispy Green Inc. (www.crispygreen.com) is the maker of Crispy Green® Crispy Fruit (freeze-dried fruit) snacks. The Crispy Fruit line of snacks is made of only the finest fruits available. A sophisticated freeze-drying process removes the water from fresh, sweet fruit, leaving behind the fruit’s true essence in a light and crispy texture that’s perfect for snacking. Crispy Fruit is a delicious, convenient way to add more fruit to your daily diet. The company was founded in August 2004 with a vision to be the leading provider of high quality, natural food products desired by everyone who wants to live a healthy and better life. Crispy Green introduced its line of Crispy Green Crispy Fruit in the United States in 2005. Since then, the company has been consistently providing high quality freeze-dried fruit snacks to its consumers and adding new flavors to its Crispy Fruit line to meet market demands.

Crispy Green products are available in stores such as The Fresh Market, Harris Teeter, Giants, Shop Rite, Earth Fare and selected Whole Food Market. To find a retailer in your area that carries Crispy Green’s products, go to www.crispygreen.com/where-to-buy.html. For more information, please visit www.crispygreen.com. For news updates, information and special offers, follow Crispy Green on Twitter @CrispyGreen and become a fan at Facebook at www.facebook.com/crispygreen.

Review: The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

 

An astonishing novel from the acclaimed author of Keepsake that pushes the boundaries of storytelling. At turns shocking, provocative, and heart-wrenching, and inspired by a true story The Whole Golden World forces us to ask the question "How well do we really know our children?"

To the outside Dinah and Joe have a perfect family-three lovely children, a beautiful home, and a café that's finally taking off. But their world is rocked when it's discovered that their oldest daughter, 17-year-old Morgan is having an affair with her married teacher, TJ Hill.

Their town rocks with the scandal. When the case goes to trial, the family is torn further apart when Morgan sides not with her parents-as a manipulated teenage girl; but with TJ himself-as a woman who loves a 30-year-old man.

Told from the perspectives of Morgan, Dinah, and TJ's wife, Rain, this is an unforgettable story that fully explores the surprising, even shocking, events that change the lives of two families.

Riggle writes stories that evoke a reaction.  Affairs between students and teachers happen.  Riggle brings to light the characters behind these situations...their voices, their thoughts and their circumstances.  She writes in a way that pulls you in...with truth, great voices and an intriguing story line.  Sometimes the best reads are those that take us out of our comfort zones and push us into the reality of the world around us!  The Whole Golden World will do that and so much more... 4 stars!  

Sara's Audiobook Review: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

Lean In By Sheryl Sandberg

I was listening to satellite radio on my way to work one day, when I happened upon an interview with Sheryl Sandberg. She was talking about her new book, Lean In, and the keys points as she described them (work/life balance, the inequity of power between the genders, how to truly achieve success in life, etc.) intrigued me so I had to check it out. As I listened to the audiobook, and Sandberg shared both her advice and lessons learned, several things struck me. First, the belief that many women underestimate their own ability before anyone else underestimates them. This was a good reminder that it is difficult for people to have confidence in me if I don't have confidence in myself. Secondly, the reoccurring theme of having a voice and not passively hanging out on the sidelines reinforced the belief that you must be present and engaged in order to get the full value out of life. The idea of "sitting at the table" can be applied to your career, marriage, parenthood, and friendships. Throughout the book, Sandberg points out many things women do to limit our own success on various levels, big and small. Although she is speaking specifically about women and how to best be heard in a male-dominated corporate America, many of the lessons apply to everyone. Lean In certainly made me examine my own choices and rethink how I approach situations so I would say it is well worth the read.

Review Roundup!

With Christmas break we got lots of reading done!  So much fun cuddling up at night and reading great books!  It has been such an amazing year of books...Excited to see what 2014 has in store!

From the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Rental comes a novella that celebrates love, the holidays, and antiques. Christmas is coming, but Savannah antique dealer Weezie Foley is doubly distracted both by her upcoming wedding to her longtime love, chef Daniel Stipanek and also by the fact that her best friend and maid-of-honor BeBe Loudermilk is due to give birth any day and is still adamantly refusing to marry her live-in-love Harry. Listeners have come to love these characters in Mary Kay Andrews' three previous Savannah novels: Savannah Blues, Savannah Breeze, and Blue Christmas. Christmas Bliss offers Andrews' legions of fans the best of many things: familiar characters, a new novella for Christmas, and a celebration of Mary Key Andrews' own favorite pastime-antiquing. Blue Christmas was a fan favorite, and now Christmas Bliss is sure to fly off store shelves and into the hands of Andrews fans in bestselling numbers.

Emily's Review:

This was a delightful novel but not all about Christmas.  There are some fun shenanigans and humor and mishaps!  I really enjoyed this novel.  It was my first read by Mary Kay Andrews.  I loved that you get more points of view when reading this book.  I like that you get to become invested in more than one character and more than one story line!  I don't want to give anything away, but fun will be hard when reading this book....curl up with it this winter you won't regret it!

Critically injured in a motorbike accident, Zara Wilson lies in a coma. She is caught between many worlds: the world of her hospital room and anxious family, and that of her memories and a dream-like fantasy where she searches for her brother Jem. Jem proves elusive but Zara s adventures in her subconscious unlock dark secrets of a troubled childhood. Zara must face up to her past in order to accept her future.

Emily's Review:  

I have to say that this book is unlike any other I have read.  It is original and unusual.  It is thought provoking and well, not sure how else to describe it.  I think that the illustrations in a comic book style are a neat twist.  I think you will love this book or it will fall short and I am still not sure where I fall.  What I can say is that the book will stick with me.  3 stars 

Somewhere Down the Line: The Legend of Boomer Jack is based on the true story of a dog who rode the lumber trains of Northern California in the early 1900s.

Boomer Jack is a lovable railroad dog who has ridden the rails since he was a pup. Although he belongs to the mayor’s wife, who wants him to be a house dog, Boomer can’t resist the call of a train whistle.

Boomer has many friends around the town of Willits, including a kind-hearted station master and a locomotive engineer and his trusty fireman, but no one could love him more than a ten-year-old girl named Sara Parsons. Saddened by the recent death of her father in a tragic train accident, Sara looks to Boomer to ease her loneliness. But she soon discovers that it's impossible to keep a railroad dog away from the trains for long.

Though Boomer is content to spend his days chasing adventure on the rails, trouble arises for the town when Mayor Belmont, who is also president of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, decides to route his trains around Willits to another town. Meanwhile, Boomer has problems of his own when he is wrongly accused of chasing livestock and Fisk, a boozing dog catcher, sets out to capture him.

After a narrow escape from Fisk, Boomer joins engineer Paddy and fireman Jonsey on a high-speed locomotive ride to San Francisco. The trainmen and their canine companion visit the city and return home with a second dog, Lucky, who becomes Boomer's new love.

Once back in town, troubles escalate for both Boomer and the town of Willits when an angry Fisk tries to take his revenge. In the end, it’s up to Sara to save the day, and learn a most important lesson from Boomer: True happiness is not to possess, but simply to love.

Emily's Review:

I read this to my boys over break and they LOVED it.  We are dog lovers in this house and reading a story about a adventuresome dog was right up our alley!   It was great story to discuss with the boys and they enjoyed finding the deeper meaning within the story!  4 stars!

 DINOSAURS: Fun Facts and Amazing Photos of Animals in Nature (Amazing Animal Kingdom Series) is a thrilling look into the world of prehistoric reptiles. You guessed it! Dinosaurs! Don't just sit there... Walk through the jungle, dig underground, swim to the depths of the ocean with this funny and entertaining book for kids. DINOSAURS: Fun Facts and Amazing Photos of Animals in Nature (Amazing Animal Kingdom Series) is an amusing and enlightening book about dinosaurs. Learn about the different types of dinosaurs as well as what they eat and their strange behaviors. It is the perfect book for children of all ages. This book can be enjoyed by young readers and even adults, as they read to toddlers and Kindergarteners.

DINOSAURS: Fun Facts and Amazing Photos of Animals in Nature (Amazing Animal Kingdom Series) has it all! Not only is it an exciting and entertaining book, but it is also designed especially for the younger readers who love dinosaurs. In this amazing book, you will find that the sentence structure is well designed. Its short paragraphs and easy to read words makes this book a wonderful story for children, parents and even primary school teachers. Dinosaur names can be difficult to pronounce. This remarkable book provides phonetic breakdowns to assist young and even older readers with pronunciation.

Reading to children can create a lifelong bond between you and your child. So grab a copy of DINOSAURS: Fun Facts and Amazing Photos of Animals in Nature (Amazing Animal Kingdom Series) and curl up with your child today.

Journey through the Land of the Unknown and discover something new!

Emily's Review:

Another great fun and information rich book!  The pictures are great and the info is most impressive.  Any dino fan needs this book! 5 stars

Review: Totlandia: The Onesies, Book 4 (Totlandia #4) by Josie Brown

As summer sizzles in Totlandia, emotions boil over for the newest members of Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club, whose trust in each other is sorely tempted by Bettina and her club politics.

When Jillian's vindictive joke backfires, she learns the true meaning of forgiveness.

Jade’s betrayal puts her in a dangerous downward spiral with no bottom in sight—until she finds friendship and redemption where she least expects it.

Lorna faces the biggest trial in her marriage, and makes an important decision that may end it for good.

While Ally may regret the choices she made to get accepted in the club, her exile puts new opportunities in her path, thanks to Brady and his ceaseless desire to win her over—with Barry's help, who is playing his own little game with the Top Moms Committee. 

But it's Bettina who suffers the ultimate punishment—one that changes her life, and the livelihood of the club, forever.

I love this series.  It is my guilty pleasure.  You can get lost and wrapped up in the lives of Jillian, Lorna, Ally and Jade.  Weather you love them, see yourself in them or if they drive you nuts you will be engaged cover to cover.  This is a series to be read.  They are quick and fun reads, but they also have meat.  They are not mindless, they have depth!   I love starting and finishing a book in the same day! But now I am left craving the next book in the series! 4 stars

Highlight: My Life as a Myth by Huston Piner

1969 high school freshman Nick Horton has problems. He's an easy target for bullies, a social outcast who dreams of being popular, and he doesn't understand why he's not attracted to girls. After a series of misunderstandings label him a troublemaker, he's delighted to have Jesse and his gang befriend him. But while Nick just wants to explore his growing attraction to Bobby, Jesse promises to give him a new image and transforms the shy loser into an anti-establishment student hero. Thanks to his new reputation, Nick soon finds himself besieged by would-be girlfriends and expectations that he live up to his public image. If it wasn't tough pretending to be straight, now he's got to act cool too! 

Nick's freshman year is a remarkable journey of ridiculous misadventures, unexpected psychedelic explorations, and heartbreaking tragedy. As he struggles to understand his emerging romance with Bobby he must confront the dangerous goings-on at school and the Vietnam War's destructive impact on his family. Is a world still reeling from the sexual revolution and the illicit pleasures of underage drinking and marijuana ready to accept two boys in love? Can Nick and Bobby's relationship survive a world where acid rock rules, status is everything and being gay is the last taboo?

Nominated for the 2014 Stonewall Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Reviews!

I love Chicken Soup for the Soul books.  

They are perfect to read a bit at time. 

 I keep them next to my bed and read a bit every morning or every night.  

It is a great way to start the day or end a day!

Note:  I am a Chicken Soup for the Soul Soup-er Blogger and I received these books free for an honest review.  But in no way did that affect my review.  The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: It's Christmas!: 101 Joyful Stories about the Love, Fun, and Wonder of the Holidays

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Amy Newmark

About the book:  This collection of 101 festive holiday stories will warm readers’ hearts and spread the wonder of the holiday season with its tales of love, joy, and awe. A fantastic holiday gift and a great way to start the season!

Christmas is an exciting and joyous time of year, a time of family, friends, and traditions. You will delight in reading the 101 merry and heartwarming stories about holiday traditions, family, and goodwill. Remember, all our stories are “Santa safe” so they can be enjoyed by the whole family.

My Review:  I loved this magical and joyful collection of Christmas spirit.  The youthfulness of some of the stories are what makes the holiday season so special and memorable!  Curl up with this book all of December and feel hopeful, youthful and bask in your memories of favorite Christmases past and the ones that lie in front of you! 4.5 stars

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Wives: 101 Daily Devotions to Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire You

by Susan M. Heim, Karen C. Talcott

About the book:  Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Wives will inspire, uplift, and counsel any woman of faith who needs a boost or reminder of God’s ever-present love as she goes through the ups and downs of daily life and marriage.

This collection of 101 unique devotionals - consisting of a scripture reading, a Chicken Soup for the Soul story, and a custom-written prayer by women of faith - will affirm God’s unconditional love and His wisdom. Women will find solace and strength in these stories that cover everything from everyday trials to tests of faith.

My Review:  Every now and then I need a good reminder of the greatest of being part of a partnership. Being a wife is a great and wonderful experience and the Devotional Stories for Wives just reignited my passion for being in this thing called life with a loving and caring husband.  There is so much wisdom, spirituality and truth in the stories.  I really enjoyed this book and I plan to reread it again in the future.  4 stars 

Blog Tour: Merry & Bright by Lucie Simone (Editor), Isabella Louise Anderson , Cindy Arora, Laura Chapman, Lauren Clark, Libby Mercer, Nancy Scrofano

Four authors from Christmas anthology 

Merry & Bright 

share their favorite childhood 

holiday memories.

Follow the tour HERE

Lauren Clark: My favorite childhood Christmas memory would have to be making cookies with my mother and two younger brothers. I adored the process—mixing the ingredients, rolling out dough, choosing cutout shapes, and the delicious scent that floated through the house once the cookies turned golden brown in the oven. I am certain that my brothers and I made a terrible mess, but we loved tinting frosting in shades of bright green and cheery red and decorating cookies in the shape of trees, bells, Santa, and stars. The stars have always been my favorite, and I took extra care to dot them with silver nonpareils, glittery sugar sprinkles, and iced dots and swirls. We enjoyed the treats in our pajamas with cups of cocoa while snowflakes fell outside our front window, covering the lawn with a blanket of white.

Laura Chapman: My family decorates our Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend, and it’s always a fond memory for me. My mom tells me my love for Christmas trees started early. “When you were eighteen months old, we put you down for a nap, and while you were sleeping, we put up the Christmas tree and decorated it,” she said. “When you woke up, we brought you out and your eyes were as big as saucers. You kept turning around in circles looking at it. You were very amazed and very cute.” I’m still amazed when I see an exceptionally beautiful tree.

Nancy Scrofano: I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but when I was a kid, I desperately wanted a new bicycle for Christmas. I had my eye on a bright yellow “big girl” bike, so I asked Santa for it, and I waited and waited. Finally, Christmas morning arrived. I remember racing down the stairs to the family room, and there in front of our Christmas tree was that yellow bike with a giant red bow on it. I screamed so loud that I woke the rest of my family up. I’ll never forget that exciting moment.

Isabella Louise Anderson: Who doesn’t love presents, especially at Christmastime? Being the eager child that I was, one Christmas Eve, I was too excited to sleep because I knew Santa was coming. After waking my younger brother up, I convinced him to go downstairs with me to see if we had any presents. Seeing nothing yet, we went back to bed, and couldn’t sleep the rest of the night. We stayed up talking about what we hoped we’d get—he wanted a Nintendo Game Boy, and I wanted a cash register. Santa was good to us that year.

Merry & Bright Book Description

Sip your eggnog, linger under the mistletoe, and make a Christmas wish. Merry & Bright brings you six tales of Christmas cheer, featuring stories of budding romances, Southern charm, lost loves, heaps of humor, and lots of pie by authors Isabella Louise Anderson, Cindy Arora, Laura Chapman, Lauren Clark, Libby Mercer, and Nancy Scrofano. From sunny Los Angeles to the Rocky Mountains to the Deep South, Merry & Bright will take you on a heartwarming adventure you’ll love to visit again and again. Wrap yourself in holiday mirth and prepare to be swept off your feet.

What a great collection of Christmas tales.  There is truly a story for everyone within this collection.  There is romance, snow, humor, great characters and pure fun!  Each story has a different voice and you can get a sampling of these very talented ladies! I love reading collections like this because you get to experience so much great writing by amazing writers in one place!!! 4.5 Merry & Bright Stars

Review: Monkey Fun! by Julia Dweck

Monkey Fun! proves that you’re never too young to begin your learning adventure. 

It’s a barrel of fun and chock full of interesting monkey facts written in easy to understand rhyming verse for toddlers ages 0-4.

“That’s not a monkey who’s peeling a grape. 

Bigger and tailless, he must be an ape.” 

“Monkeys who live in a family group, travel together and share with their troop.”

Bold, colorful illustrations by Aida Barba Flores will capture the attention of young readers and aid in story comprehension. This is an edutaining rhyming adventure that offers fun learning resources in the back of the book including, Mrs. Dweck’s monkey facts and a monkey counting game.

I, again, found myself falling in love with another Dweck book.  I adored all the adorable monkey fun and interesting facts.  My kids love reading Dweck's books with me. They get excited when a new title is released! They giggle and snuggle and enjoy every word!  I have called my son Monkey since he was born, so this book feels close to my heart!  Another 5 star hit!!! 

Review: Shadows In My Room & What’s That Noise: Bedtime Stories by Linda Weaver Clarke

In each of these stories, a mother helps her little girl understand her fears at night.

Shadows In My Room: Kayla sees shadows in her room that disturb her. Her mother answers all her questions about each shadow that she points to, and helps her to calm down and go to sleep.

What’s That Noise: Amber hears noises that disturb her such as the wind and thunder. Her mother teaches Amber to use her imagination by turning something fearful into something fun.

This book helped me get my fearful child to sleep better at night.  We read the stories and then tried to determine what made the noises and shadows in his room.  It was a great story to help my son realize he is not on his own when he is scared, but there are answers in the darkness and fear can be explained! 4.5 stars

Highlight: The Alliance of Isian (Isian #2) by Serena Clarke Boo

Book Two

War is coming and all the kingdoms must choose a side. Isian decides to make an alliance with their long time enemies in order to defeat a common enemy. So Isian sends a proposal, offering their daughter to the prince, in order to ensure an alliance. 
Princess Gabrielle and her new husband, Prince Alec must learn to work together and trust each other in order to triumph in the approaching war. 
With a mysterious beast attacking the kingdom, their lives in danger, and overcoming their vast cultural differences, will love grow despite their trials or tear them apart?

Enjoy the fantasy, danger, mystery, and romance!

Book One

Prince Garin is a brave, proud, adventure-seeking prince. Elani is his most trusted servant and she would do anything for him, even die for him.
Their quest to find the mystical Treasure of Isian is immediately interrupted and they find themselves confronted by angry giants, soul-stealing elves, bewitched dragons, a vengeful water-witch, battling foes, and a mysterious kingdom.
Elani must face her greatest fears to save her prince and her kingdom. Garin must decide what the most important things are in his life. 
Will they be able to make a great sacrifice to save the kingdom? And will Elani find true love?

Become lost in the adventure, love, loyalty, and mystery of The Treasure of Isian!

Serena has a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design and is a member of the Red Mountain Shadows Publishing team. She is passionate about learning, reading, art, and design. She enjoys designing her book covers as much as writing her books.

Highlight: Sir, I Can Explain by Stephen D. Cork

Major Jennifer O’Shane is ordered by the President on a top secret assignment to INTERPOL and the Central Command of the U.S. military to take on a crime syndicate of unimaginable scale. The mission: destroy a giant international human trafficking syndicate.

She parachutes into the mountains of Argentina, plumbs the depths of the Mississippi River, and boards a ship loaded with human cargo during a storm in the Caribbean. She meets a sadistic crime boss on a personal vendetta, and terrorist connections in the slave syndicate, provide subplots in a constant undercurrent of suspense, drama and intrigue.

She is hailed as a hero for saving the life of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, only to be arrested a month later. She operates under top-secret orders from the White House, yet she is stonewalled, harassed and endangered at every turn.

Why does Jenny go from hero to pariah? How can she convince senior leaders of the scope and breadth of the human trafficking operation? Sir, I Can Explain, is a roller coaster ride of excitement with a finale that will curl your toes.