Thursday, May 24, 2012

Splash into Summer

I love summer. Wait, let me say it one more time. I LOVE SUMMER! For nine months of the year, I shiver in three or four layers of clothes, but for 3 blessed months of the year, I break out the short sleeves. My arms see the light of day. My face feels the warmth of the sun. And all is right with the world.

Now, I don't want to spoil anything for you, but there's a point in The Bravest Squirrel Ever where Pippi feels that same desperation to see the light of day, feel the warmth of the sun, and scamper through the yard as only squirrels and small children can do.

Pippi the squirrel isn't brave and has no interest in earning the title of "The Bravest Squirrel Ever." Scared of thunder, lightning and being "flopped" by the humans, Pippi only wants to return to Mama's warm, cozy nest. Instead, she stumbles on a better nest. There's only one problem. It's in dangerous, forbidden human territory. The attic nest is too perfect for Pippi to resist, and she moves in. The humans soon discover her. Instead of driving her out, they seal off her only exit, trapping her inside. To escape and to survive, Pippi must face her fears and depend on herself for the first time in her life. In doing so, she learns just how brave a little squirrel can be.

To win a copy of The Bravest Squirrel Ever, please leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about summer. On June 1st, I'll pick one random winner from the comments. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.  Extra brownie points for those who follow this blog, like The Bravest Squirrel Ever's  Amazon page and like The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest's Amazon page.

As a special summer bonus, you can download the second book in The Bravest Squirrel series -- The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest -- free on Sunday, May 27th and Monday, May 28th only (exclusively on Amazon). Enjoy!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Final Week of Kindle Select

Fair warning:  I will be opting out of Kindle Select within the next few days for The Bravest Squirrel Ever and by the end of the month for The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest.  This is great news for all of you who read on your Nooks, iPads, Sony Readers and more.  Thank you for your patience.  I'm coming back to you!

For those who subscribe to Amazon Prime, if you've been thinking about reading The Bravest Squirrel series, I recommend borrowing it for free on your Kindle while it's still available.

As a final bonus, The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest is free to everyone on Amazon today (Sunday, May 20th) and next Sunday and Monday (May 27 and 28th).  Spread the word.  This deal will not be repeated!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Special Guest Tuesday - Ann T. Bugg


I'm so excited to launch my special guest Tuesday blog with Ann T. Bugg, author of the Before Happily Ever After Series.  Welcome Ann!

Thanks for having me, Sara!

Even though I had been encouraged since grade school to write, it took a single encounter many years later to get that ball rolling. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, or in this case, a gift possum.

The first book in the Before Happily Ever After Series is Through the Mirror and Into Snow.  Valerie and Samantha, being the duo of double-trouble that they are, sneak out after bedtime to the barn to search for the possum that scared Valerie’s mother earlier that night. You guessed it; that was me. The fat pony, Leroy, is real as well and that is pretty much how things happened. I guess fear is a great motivator!

After the brief encounter, I booted up my laptop and began my tale. The main characters are based on my daughter and her best friend. They are very much themselves in the books, giving me great characters to build from. It was no surprise for the book to take on a magical twist since fairy tales re-told have always been my favorite stories. Once it was rolling, I asked my daughter to read it to see what she thought. I was greeted with squeals of glee and threats to hurry up and finish it. Offers to go outside and take care of the chores were not easy to come by, so I took that as she liked it.

What surprised me even more was that the one book turned into nine. I never outlined out or planned them, they sort of just happened. I wrote one then wrote a women’s fiction then went back to these again. After a few queries, I had given up getting them published, but I still enjoyed writing them as a sort of record of the girls and their antics.  I figured they were just for us, and that was okay.

When one of my publishers found the modest site I had set up and asked to see them, I still didn’t hold too much hope of anything becoming of it. To my surprise, they wanted them. With some fine tuning & the addition of my narrator, the series was now seeing print. It’s been many years since I wrote them so the editing process on them has been especially fun for me. I forgot some of the little “ditties” my daughter and her friend shared as well as some of their mischief and quirks. I hope that somewhere down the line, parents don’t want to beat me as Val & Sam’s  “loser loser double loser” routine and others like it… go viral. ;)
The series is geared at middle grade but it has been enjoyed from ages 5-85. Loving fairy tales, folklore, and all that is magical knows no age. I look forward to the rest seeing the light of day and maybe fitting in another… we’ll have to see what presents itself to me in my barn next. ;)

Visit my website for a synopsis on all the books: http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/ and join my fanpage for updates on new releases: http://www.facebook.com/AnnTBugg

By the way, Valerie is the cover artist & illustrator for the series. She did the cover for book #1 when she was only 14.

Happy Reading!
Ann T Bugg (June Kramin)
Women’s fiction website: http://www.junekramin.com/
Facebook fan page women’s fiction: http://www.facebook.com/JuneKramin

Monday, May 7, 2012

Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop


I am thrilled to celebrate and promote Children's Book Week by taking part in The Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop.

I am Sara Shafer. I've read to my children since they were infants. Books are a huge part of our lives and our connection to each other. As an author, nothing gives me a bigger thrill than having my little one jump up and down (on the bed, of course!) because she is so excited and rooting so badly for the little squirrel in the story I had written and am now reading to her.

Why squirrels? Well, that's kind of a funny story in itself. I'd never thought twice about the squirrels running around our yard until they decided to move in and make themselves at home in our attic. Then I couldn't stop thinking about them. When I knocked on the ceiling and they scratched back, I was hooked. I began imagining what they thought and felt, and The Bravest Squirrel Ever was born.

Pippi the squirrel isn't brave and has no interest in earning the title of "The Bravest Squirrel Ever." Scared of thunder, lightning and being "flopped" by the humans, Pippi only wants to return to Mama's warm, cozy nest. Instead, she stumbles on a better nest. There's only one problem. It's in dangerous, forbidden human territory. The attic nest is too perfect for Pippi to resist, and she moves in. The humans soon discover her. Instead of driving her out, they seal off her only exit, trapping her inside. To escape and to survive, Pippi must face her fears and depend on herself for the first time in her life. In doing so, she learns just how brave a little squirrel can be.

I'm happy to announce, my attic is currently squirrel-free. However... the squirrels outnumber the humans in my neighborhood and could decide to take over at any moment. I watch for signs of invasion as I plot my next story of squirrel bravery. For fun squirrel facts and information about The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest starring Pippi's brother Max, visit my website

To keep updated on future installments of The Bravest Squirrel series and on promotional discounts, follow this blog and like my Facebook page. To win a copy of The Bravest Squirrel Ever, please leave a comment with a your favorite squirrel memory. On May 14th, I'll pick one random winner from the comments. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

$260 Children's Book Giveaway



Barron's Educational Series is teaming up with Blog it Forward to bring you an amazing promotion!
They are giving away $260 worth of children's books!
Barron’s is known for their test prep books (SAT, ACT, AP, GRE, etc.). They are also a major publisher of children’s books with hundreds of books in their inventory.
View their online children’s catalog.
Hold on tight, here's the HUGE list of books they're giving away!
The Awesome Activity Adventure Book
Kow Kapow and the Bonsai Kid are two silly cartoon animals who go off on a series of wild and wacky adventures to find the Monkey Nut of Moo! As their madcap escapade unfolds, kids are provided with puzzles to solve, pictures to draw, riddles to answer, mazes to find their way out of, a treasure map to decipher, and a creepy castle to explore. Boys and girls are also encouraged to READ MORE.
The Dragon Creativity Book
Little boys love stories about dragons, and here's an activity book designed to keep them busy with dragon-related activities. They can create uniquely fearsome dragon heads, count dragons, eggs hidden in dragon illustrations, read dragon maps as they play dragon games, and generally enjoy hours of dragon-hunting fun. This big book features READ MORE.
Emily's Ice Dancing Show
This magical picture book tells the story of Emily, a little girl who watches graceful skaters on an icy pond and wishes she could skate with them. She gathers her courage and gives ice skating a try, but quickly finds out how difficult it is. She struggles and wobbles, and finally loses her balance and has a fall. But Emily doesn't give up. Read More.
EyePad 123
Available in June 2012
Preschool boys and girls will have fun learning basic skills and concepts with this eyePad, solving puzzles, and playing games, while they pretend they're working on a tablet computer that looks just like Moms or Dads. Barron's eyePad Activity Books for younger children have features that READ MORE.
EyePad ABC
Available in June 2012
 
Preschool boys and girls will have fun learning basic skills and concepts with this eyePad, solving puzzles, and playing games, while they pretend they're working on a tablet computer that looks just like Moms or Dads. READ MORE
Available in June 2012
Preschool boys and girls will have fun learning basic skills and concepts with this eyePad, solving puzzles, and playing games, while they pretend they're working on a tablet computer that looks just like Moms or Dads. READ MORE
Available in June 2012
Preschool boys and girls will have fun learning basic skills and concepts with this eyePad, solving puzzles, and playing games, while they pretend they?re working on a tablet computer that looks just like Moms or Dads. Barron's eyePad Activity Books for younger children have features that READ MORE.
Available in June 2012
Preschool boys and girls will have fun learning basic skills and concepts with this eyePad, solving puzzles, and playing games, while they pretend they're working on a tablet computer that looks just like Moms or Dads. Barron?s eyePad Activity Books for younger children have features that READ MORE.
Available in June 2012
Preschool boys and girls will have fun learning basic skills and concepts with this eyePad, solving puzzles, and playing games, while they pretend they're working on a tablet computer that looks just like Moms or Dads. Barrons eyePad Activity Books for younger children have features that READ MORE.
Detailed, scientifically accurate color illustrations are complemented with a lively text that explains the many ways a typical healthy child's body functions at different times of a typical day. The book's narrative depicts a child waking up in the morning, eating breakfast and digesting food, using the body's muscles to ride a bike, and performing the many normal activities that make up a child's READ MORE.
 
A meerkat family is on a round-the-world vacation trip, and kids who open this book are challenged to locate those roaming animals in a series of large, colorful, detail-packed street scenes. The meerkats' travels take them to Moscow's Red Square and New York's Times Square. The friendly but elusive creatures also show up in Venice at carnival time, at a floating farmer's market in Bangkok READ MORE.
Kids can sing along with this book's funny animal characters as they turn each page. The big, colorful illustrations that fill every page present a Wheels on the Bus verse, while more and more animals climb aboard for a bus ride. The weight of those many animals finally flattens the bus's tires and it takes big puffs from the elephant's trunk to READ MORE.
Cheerfully illustrated and designed to inspire family fun, The Kids Summer Fun Book deserves a place in every family's home library. Parents will find ideas to recapture their childhood as they join with their kids in dozens of fun-to-do summer activities. Ideas include summer beach parties with a sand castle building theme, hiking and camping READ MORE.
This delightful story about a little girl who joins a ballet class comes with big color illustrations and all kinds of interactive features on every page. There are tabs to pull, flaps to lift, wheels to turn, and a wonderful pop-up ballet scene on the book's final two-page spread. When kids pull the READ MORE.
Certain to please every little princess who enjoys crafts and activities, this big, fun-packed book has pictures to color, sticker sheets for decorating a gate, folding sticker scene, stencils for drawing, decorated paper for fashioning crafts items, mazes and puzzles to solve, directions for making a princess crown, princess games to play with friends, and much more. Every little girl wants to be a princess READ MORE.
Younger children who will soon be starting school will see this attractive board book as their introduction to an exciting new experience. It presents bright illustrations and simple text that sum up a typically happy school day. READ MORE.
Toddlers will enjoy learning how to lace up and tie their own shoes when they get help from Mom or Dad and this color illustrated board book. The vivid front cover is really a double cover that opens from spines on both sides of the book. The left-side front cover is decorated with a large, eye-catching READ MORE.
In this newly formatted version of a popular children's title, preschool boys and girls discover how their left and right hands are different, and how together they perform different tasks. Kids also learn to tell left from right as ways of giving READ MORE.
A fine classroom supplement and a solid information source for kids writing social studies reports, this updated, easy-to-read book explains the federal system as it works in the United States today. It also discusses some ways in which the government has changed since the framers of the Constitution brought it into existence in the 18th century. Described are the Legislative body, composed of Senate and READ MORE.
Young readers will be fascinated by attention-catching facts as they read about major presidential campaigns, from George Washington's election in 1789 to Barack Obama's victory in 2008. Questions answered include: Who can run for president? ... Who can vote? ... What is the Electoral College? ... What is a third-party candidate? READ MORE.
Written in terms kids can understand, this revised and updated book explains what the United States Constitution does, and describes how it affects and protects people today. Boys and girls discover how that great document gives citizens many rights, including the right to vote, as well as to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to worship or not worship READ MORE.
Based on the key Montessori principle that children learn best through active experience, Teach Me to Do It Myself presents simple activities through which children explore and develop their skills. These skill areas include sensory perceptions, body coordination, language, understanding of numbers, and movement. This practical, color-illustrated parenting book is filled with activities and instructions for READ MORE.
he very popular cat from the animated Shrek film series comes vividly alive in this brand-new book. Scheduled for publication this Fall to coincide with the release of the latest Shrek spin-off movie, Puss in Boots, it's the story of a quick-witted, feline - the pet of Peter, a good-natured but shiftless orphan boy. As the story begins, Peter's father, READ MORE.
Help raise awareness at home or at school with this important story about stopping bullying. A little boy is feeling sad because every day he has to face a bully. But this story's little boy also has friends. A frog, a cat, a rabbit, a cow, and other animal friends insist on helping him, even after READ MORE.
Little girls who love pretty clothes and all the fashion items that go with them will adore this activity book. It's packed with pages to color, puzzles to solve, quizzes, mazes, and games to play. Girls can color in a model's hair, draw their own fantasy wardrobe, design pretty fashion accessories, and let their imaginations run free, as they discover something new to create on every page. Attractive features include READ MORE.
Here's an activity book to keep kids entertained during quiet times. Its theme is pirates and their high-seas adventures, and it's packed with pictures, fun things to make and do, and puzzles and mazes to solve. Kids will find Pictures to color. Two sticker sheets plus a large gate, folding sticker scene. A pirate theme stencil sheet. Decorated craft paper with pirate designs. READ MORE.
An amazing list of books! Our winner will get them ALL! Yes that's right, every book listed!!
Want to win this incredible children's book giveaway? Of course you do! This giveaway ends on May 13 at 11:59 pm EST and it open to US only. Fill out the form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway