Whose Story Is This, Anyway? by Mike Flaherty, Oriol Vidal (Illustrations) [Interview, Review & Giveaway]

ISBN13: 9781454916086

About the book: What’s this book about? That depends on who you ask. Our humble narrator thinks he’s got a great story for you, but he barely begins before he’s interrupted . . . by a scallywag pirate with a thrilling legend of mermaids and sea monsters! Soon an entire cast of colorful characters—including a hungry dinosaur, an alien bent on world domination, and a heroic knight—derails the boy’s saga. Everyone has a tale to tell—but if they can all get on the same page, this might turn out to be the best story ever!

Let's pick the brain of this unusual tale's author, Mike Flaherty, and see a bit of what makes him "tick"......

1. I know you have children. Boys. Right? Other than the constant children's interruptions when adults are talking about something, what motivated you to write your children's story Whose Story Is This, Anyway? Was there an "ah ha!" moment that you decided this was a good direction to pursue and why?

I have two boys, 8 and 6. And while they disagree on pretty much everything, the one thing that unites them is their crusade to delay bedtime. When it comes time to pick a story, well, neither one can agree which one to read…imagine that.

 “I want the pirate story.”
“But I want the dragon story.”
“No, the time-traveling ninja robot story!”
“There is no time-traveling ninja robot story.”
“Yeah. Well, we should make one before lights out.”
“Can we read them all?”
“Yeah, we should just read ALL THE STORIES.”

While I’d love to read them all, for the sake of sanity we need bedtime stories to be done before the next full moon, so I came up with a story that crammed in as many of their favorite characters as I could. Yes, my ‘a-ha’ moment was born from a need to streamline bedtime. Now, about that time-traveling ninja robot story…

2.  Is this your first book? If so, does your current career contribute to the genesis of this new branching out to being an author?

This is my first book to be published (we shall speak nothing of the many books stashed away in the “Story Graveyard” folder on my laptop). And despite protests from 5-Year-Old Me, I grew up to be a financial advisor. Not to knock the field, but I wouldn’t say it directly contributes to my work as an author. Unless I can find a publisher for my board book “The ABCs of Prudent Financial Planning."

 3. What piece of advice would you offer to 1) parents and 2) children?

Trust your instincts. With all the advice, tips, life-hacks, and patronizing judgement that parents are bombarded with every day, it’s all too easy to lose sight of the fact that for the most part, you’re doing the parenting thing right already. Love your kids, live your life. For kids, always be curious and ask questions, but don’t stop there. Find your own answers. 

I don't know about my Chat With Vera readers, but I'm seeing the beginning of a really good children's book author and can hardly wait to see what more he has stored in that "Story Graveyard folder" on his computer. Hey publishers, are you listening????

My thoughts: This is the story of one frustrated little boy. He's got a story he is just hankering to tell and he just can't get past all the interjections, interruptions, and interfering voices of creatures, pirates, and what-all. He wants to tell HIS story and he doesn't want them butting in on him while he is getting HIS story told. The author captures this kid's frustration and lets it build and build until.....

..... in desperation and realization it dawns upon him that HIS story CAN involve all these others, too.

Love the cute, funny art drawn with bold lines and bright bold colors. Great at capturing the tone and vibrancy of the book.

I love the great sense of humor of both the author and illustrator have obviously poured into this cute book. Another good Sterling Children's Book I can heartily recommend for fun reading times at home and in libraries everywhere.

GIVEAWAY

Begins 5/6/2016 & Ends 5/27/2016

Open to USA addresses only!  

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Sterling Children's Books to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review. Illustrations provided and reprinted with permission from Whose Story Is This, Anyway? © 2016 by Mike Flaherty, Sterling Children’s Books, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Illustrations © 2016 by Oriol Vidal.

Ellen Prager talks about her third installment in the Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians series: Stingray City

About the book: Being a teenager is never easy. Especially when you can talk to sharks! Tristan Hunt has enough to worry about with girl troubles, his parents, and trying to keep his extraordinary abilities a secret. But when Tristan and his friends are called upon to investigate the disappearance of stingrays and other ocean life in the waters off Grand Cayman, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. Can Tristan solve the mystery of the missing stingrays and save them from a horrible fate? Or will he and his friends become the stingray-napper’s next victims?

Join Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardian on their most dangerous adventure yet.

Let's chat with Ellen Prager....

Other than the conservation themes in your books, what is one thing you would want kids to take away from reading Tristan Hunt?

Obviously, I want kids to come away with an interest in the ocean and marine life, but equally I want them to simply enjoy reading and books! Reading is a critical skill for all students and by engaging them with a fun, easy, and entertaining read I hope to the way for a life-long love of and interest in reading.

How has writing for children augmented your career in ocean science? And vice versa?

Writing for children allows me to consider ocean science subjects from a new and very fun perspective, to do research on topics and locales I may not have previously studied, and it enables me to bring so much of what I have learned as a scientist to a new generation of learners and make it entertaining as well as understandable.

You are a recognized name and authority on "things of the sea" and have achieved much in your chosen career. What moved or directed you toward the oceans as your point of interest and career choice?

As a child I loved nature and swimming. I used to run around in the woods, climb trees, and spent hours in the neighborhood pool. Another big influence was watching Jacque Cousteau specials on television back then. But really my career dove headfirst into the ocean when two things happened. I was offered the opportunity to try scuba diving. I fell in love with it and got certified when I was in high school. And in college, I took a semester away from Wesleyan University to study tropical marine science at a marine laboratory in St. Croix. That was it for me, I was "hooked."

Once you began working in that direction, you moved into the realm of authoring books for young readers. Was there an "ah ha!" moment that you decided this was a good direction to pursue and why?

There were many "ah ha" moments along the way! One was when I started visiting classrooms and speaking to kids. I saw their eyes light up when I made science understandable and fun. I then tried my hand at writing popular science and children books. I discovered it came naturally and very much enjoyed it, actually more than writing technical science. Then, a few years ago, people began asking me if I had books specifically for young readers (middle grade). I didn't, so I decided that needed to change. Middle grade is a very influential time in a child's life and can have a big impact on their life-long interests and the lives of those around them.  And one of the things I love about writing fiction for young readers is that I get to combine adventure and humor with ocean science (three of my favorite things).

Fortunately, the "ah ha" moments continue. My favorites are when I get a wonderful reaction from readers. Just the other day, after a discussion with a class of middle school students reading my Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardian series, I took lots of selfies with the kids, but on the way out, one young boy raced over, grabbed my legs, and gave me a huge hug for the books. Almost brought me to tears, it was so heart warming and inspiring. That's what it is all about!

What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?

I don't have a single, specific greatest achievement in my career. I'm proud of many of the things I've accomplished. Right now though, I am most proud of the impact I'm having on both young and older readers alike in inspiring an interest in and caring for the ocean and marine life, as well in helping to get kids reading and enjoying it.

What piece of advice would you offer to 1) parents and 2) children?

Encourage your kids to follow their dreams, work hard, don't be afraid to try new things, share your love of reading with them. and give them experiences in nature. So many kids today do not have an opportunity to experience nature firsthand and it is truly worrisome.

As for children, much of the same. Follow your dreams, you can be and do anything. Work hard and be pro-active, go after the things you want, and don't be afraid to take risks. And of course read, read, read and get out into nature – especially the ocean!

Read an excerpted graphic novel that lives in the back of Stingray City. Click this link to read - www.teamtristan.com

ZenJenSkin Asheville Organic Natural Skincare Products [Review & Giveaway]

Often the focus on blog reviews for "skin care" is the outward beauty of the facial skin. And that is oh so important to us. We all want to look our best and want our facial skin to look lovely and young for years and years. With modern medicine and health care, our bodies are lasting much longer and we're remaining strong further into our senior years. So the question asks, "Who wants to look old in a youngish body?" The simple answer is, "No one." So we seek out the best facial products we can find. We oil, lubricate, scrub, exfoliate, tone, moisturize, and colorize our face to look good!

But we don't take care of the whole package when we simply focus on the face! No! The hands show our age usually more quickly and more accurately than our face. Our arms and legs become thin-skinned and flaky because of lack of naturally occurring oils and moisture in the skin.

So what to do? You can run to the local drug store, grocery store, dollar store or whatever and try this product and that product. Some help. Some don't. Or you can find a product made with naturally sourced plant materials that work. These are usually in your whole food, natural foods markets and other stores that source natural products.

ZenJenSkin Heal All Hand Cream & ZenJenSkin Lavender Body Lotion

I discovered ZenJenSkin products through an online review. It looked appealing so I further researched it. (Always do your homework!) I found that ZenJenSkin has a pretty full line of products made from locally harvested plants. What really thrilled me is the fact that this is a North Carolina based product produced in the lovely mountains of North Carolina near Asheville. My home state! Isn't that just grand?

ZenJenSkin has provided two lovely products for taking care of my hands and body. These are made from organic locally harvested (gathered) plants right in the Appalachia mountains.

Heal All Plant based Hand Cream-Pomegranates & Carrots - Extreme Moisture to heal cracked hands

Heal All Hand Cream is made from plants gathered right in the Appalachia mountains which Jen collected herself!  Containing the Heal All plant (which is new to me),  pomegranates, carrots, green tea which are infused in oils are to assist in healing and moisturizing hands, feet, and body.  I am enjoying using this to help my age-worn hands. It feels light, refreshing, and has a light earthy scent. Already I am seeing nice results. (Here is some interesting information about the Heal All Herb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunella_vulgaris )

Lavender Body Lotion

This light and lovely Lavender Body Lotion is so soothing and refreshing. It doesn't have a greasy feel nor is it sticky feeling (both greasy and sticky are big "no, no's" to me). This body lotion is plant infused with wild harvested plants such as Violets, Nettles, and Chickweed and adds skin essential nutrients such as Vitamin C.

I am totally enjoying this lotion. It has a refreshing fragrance that does not overpower. The feel of this lotion on my arms and legs is wonderful!

Find these and other fine products at: https://www.zenjenskin.com/

GIVEAWAY
Begins May 2 &
Ends May 23  @ 12:01 a.m. EDT
Open to USA addresses Only
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DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary products from ZenJenSkin.com to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine and are freely given. I count it a pleasure to review for this North Carolina based company.

NONE LIKE HIM: 10 WAYS GOD IS DIFFERENT FROM US (and why that’s a good thing) Author: Jill Wilkin [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: Through the years I have had opportunity to learn in sermons, books, and Sunday School lessons present the attributes of God - attributes that touch on the very essence of Who and What God is. Jen Wilkin writes in her book None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different From Us on God's attributes and how these ways show us that it is a good thing that God is different from us.

Frankly, when she began her book by exploring that God Has No Limits, I thought to myself, "Of course, God has no limits. That's why He is God!" But then as I continued to read and as Wilkin fleshed out the concept of a limitless God I saw the direction her thoughts were taking. God can not be measured. We can be measured. Of course, this again is, to me, a point that is simply a "given" and not up for discussion. But then she spoke of how some people try to measure up to God and try to be like God.

She hammers home the concept that once people really grasp the Limitless attribute of God and accepts their own measurable limits that they can begin to accept that they are definitely different from God to Whom they are called to give themselves and their worship.

Continuing on into the book, chapter by chapter shows us God's unique attributes and how you, I, no one can be or frankly ever will be like Him - and that's a good thing.

• INFINITE - The God of No Limits
• INCOMPREHENSIBLE - The God of Infinite Mystery
• SELF-EXISTENT - The God of Infinite Creativity
• SELF-SUFFICIENT - The God of Infinite Provision
• ETERNAL - The God of Infinite Days
• IMMUTABLE - The God of Infinite Sameness
• OMNIPRESENT - The God of Infinite Place
• OMNISCIENT - The God of Infinite Knowledge
• OMNIPOTENT - The God of Infinite Power
• SOVEREIGN - The God of Infinite Rule

I have never had an issue with my finite being. I know I have limits and I do not and have not sought to attain infinity except through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jen Wilkins makes perfectly clear in None Like Him that in these divine attributes of God we absolutely can not be like Him. In many ways we should strive to emulate God and be more like Him. But in being like him in His divine attributes we simply can not be like Him and neither should we try.

A really good book for private, family, or group studies.

GIVEAWAY 

Begins May 1
ENDS May 9 @ 12:01 a.m. ET.
 Open to USA addresses only.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
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Purchase it here 

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Sister Dear by Laura McNeill [Giveaway]

About the book: All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start. But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever?

Convicted of a crime she didn't commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish---time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows.

But Allie's return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie's claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already fragile bond with family.

As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret---one that holds the key to Allie's freedom.

Watch for my review on May 10th

GIVEAWAY

Begins April 27
ENDS May 12 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. 

 Open to USA addresses only.

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Meet the Author: After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.

NeoCell Hyaluronic Acid Blueberry Liquid for healthy joints and skin [Review & Giveaway]

I am now trying another great product from NeoCell which is a trusted name in healthy supplements.

We've all read the good news that our beloved blueberries are wonderfully rich in antioxidents. We even planted a blueberry bush in our back yard and have enjoyed wonderful home-grown, organic blueberries. This Hyaluronic Acid is rich in Blueberry Liquid and that makes it a double-whammy of goodness for our bodies.

Since I'm now a lady-of-a-certain-age, I need all the help I can get  protecting and helping my joints and skin. This product promises to really help.

Now I've tried it straight from the bottle and it is good and tasty. Not bad for a quick, easy to take help for skin and joints.

The picture (with the tiny glass) is one-tablespoon Hyaluronic Acid Blueberry Liquid mixed into two-tablespoons of water. Tastes delicious!

In the picture (with the tall glass) is one-tablespoon Hyaluronic Acid Blueberry Liquid mixed into a lovely mocha chai tea with ice. I did add a bit of honey to sweeten. Delicious!

If you don't care to take pills, this is a lovely way to get some Hyaluronic Acid and blueberry benefits into your daily life. And now the readers here at Chat With Vera have an opportunity to get a bottle by entering the giveaway below. Or you can go ahead a grab a bottle for yourself from iherb (where I shop for my NeoCell products).

GIVEAWAY
Begins April 26

ENDS May 17 @ 12:00 a.m. EDT 
Open to USA  addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Product information (from Neocell)

• Nutrients You Can Trust
• 50 mg Hyaluronic Acid Per Serving
• Quenching Hydration for Supple Skin and Lubricated Joints & Eyes
• Fast-Acting Delicious Liquid
• Dietary Supplement
• Joint Health
• Skin Viscoelasticity
• Eye Health
• Moisture Magnet
• GMP Certified

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is an important disaccharide found in every tissue of the body, in particular as an essential lubricant of healthy joints, skin, and eyes. NeoCell Hyaluronic Acid Blueberry Liquid is a natural dietary supplement enhanced with the antioxidant power of pomegranate and green tea, blueberry to help with eye health, and the absorption benefits of ionic minerals. The advanced formula is an easy to take and tasty HA supplement.

Suggested Use - As a daily supplement, take one (1) tablespoon (1/2 fl oz) daily, alone or mixed with six ounces of water, fruit juice or herbal tea.

Other Ingredients - Purified water, citric acid, natural flavors, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), and silicon dioxide. Does not contain: Soy, wheat, lactose, starch, yeast, or artificial flavors. Gluten free.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary bottle of Hyaluronic Acid Blueberry Liquid from NeoCell to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and were freely given.

The Unquiet Bones (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon #1) by Mel Starr

ISBN13: 9781854248855

Lion Hudson Publisher

Kregel Pub.

About the book: Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, he feels no real calling—despite his lively faith—and he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris, and then hanging his sign in Oxford.

Soon after, a local lord asks Hugh de Singleton to track the killer of a young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cesspool. Through his medical knowledge, Singleton identifies her as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith.

The young man she loved—whom she had provoked very publicly—is quickly arrested and sentenced at Oxford. But this is just the beginning of the tale.

The story of Singleton's adventure unfolds with realistic medical procedures, droll medieval wit, romantic distractions, and a consistent underlying sense of Christian compassion.

My thoughts: To my sorrow I  began reading Melvin R. Starr's books featuring the chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon, about mid-series. After reading several in a row, I now have the opportunity to begin at the beginning and that is with The Unquiet Bones.

If you're not familiar with Starr's wonderful qualifications to write about this period of medieval life, check him out. (click here) And if you've not read any of his "Hugh de Singleton" adventures you have missed a treat. Set in a real historical site that contains remains of Church of St Beornwald near the castle of Bampton.

Cloaked in terminology and tone that take you back to the 1300s and yet entirely readable here in the 21st century, these stories easily bring you to the place of walking the paths and conversing with the Lords, villeins, and fair maidens of that time. In the opening of The Unquiet Bones the cesspit (oh my what a stinking horror to clean) is being cleaned out and bones are found. Thought to be pig bones (and why on Earth would pig bones be in a cesspit?) but on closer examination they are found to be human. This is where the surgeon, Hugh de Singleton, is called in to do some 1300s forensic science and identify the bones and cause of death.

As the story progresses, a high ranking man's fancy garment is found in the woods and covered in leaves. This leads to more investigation. 

I have inadequate words of my own to express how enjoyable Starr's stories are. The droll expressions of Hugh de Singleton, the terse comments, and the wonderful flow of story and character development.

I highly recommend the series to anyone who wants a delightful romp in the 1300s with Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Kregel on behalf of Lion Fiction and the author.