Tuesday, March 30, 2021

When the Sun Met the Moon ~ Book Blog Tour Book Review & Giveaway!

WHEN THE SUN MET THE MOON
BY SIMRAN MOHINANI
Illustrated by Leo Hartas

GenreChildren's Fiction (Ages 3-7),  
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Pages: 38
PublisherMascot Books
Release date:   March, 2021
Format available: hardcover
Content Rating:  G for everyone

Book Description:

In this enchanting tale of the origins of the sun and the moon, the sun flies across the universe on an adventure to look for someone whose light matches his own. When the Sun Met the Moon is a story filled with so much love, excitement, and equality that you won't want to put it down, and it's a story that can be told for years to come. 

After centuries of brightening up the sky by himself, poor Sun is exhausted, lonely, and in need of some help. So, he decides to search the galaxies for someone whose light is as strong and powerful as his to help him shine down on the people of Earth. When Sun decides to take a holiday to go on this adventure, Earth is left with its first-ever nighttime where the sky goes dark and cold, leaving people afraid to come out of their homes. Will Sun be able to find somebody whose light is equal to his? Find out in this gorgeous love story how Sun met his perfect Moon.

Buy the Book
Amazon ~ B&N ~ BAM
Mascot Books


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Book Review:

HALL WAYS BLOG: BOOK REVIEW: When I saw the cover of When the Sun Met the Moon, I knew that I had to hold it in my hands. The book's title, along with the color scheme and beautiful front and back cover scenes, begs for the book to be explored. Even the book's text-free initial and end pages are lovely, and with Leo Hartas's captivating, full-page illustrations throughout the story, young readers are sure to find themselves fully engaged. 

Author Simran Mohinani has imagined a cute story of a sun that's always on duty and the earth is lit up 24/7. Sun is tired and goes looking for someone to share the work load. What he finds is Moon, and the two fall in love and get married, and they split duties so that the sun can get a break. Everyone rejoices! (As an adult reading this story, this seems tragic because they find love but can't ever really be together with the split shift. Couldn't the stars all cluster together a few times a week so Sun and Moon can share some quality time?! I need a sequel.) 

Visually, the book is stunning. The hardcover copy is high quality and the pages are thick, so they will hold up well with young, grabby fingers. Those fingers will want to touch the pages and trace the rays of sunshine, the moonbeams, and the gorgeous palette of colors used in the sunset and starry skies. The faces of the sun and the moon are softly drawn, sweet, and expressive. There is nothing intimidating or scary, even when there's darkness.

The story is told four lines at a time using a variety of rhyming devices, rhyme schemes, and cadences. As a read-aloud, this makes it sound a little clunky and cumbersome since there's not a consistent rhythm. Additionally, the author's capitalization choices and decision to not use punctuation could be problematic for young ones still learning language rules.  However, these aspects could easily be parlayed into lessons for young and even older students. 

My mind is whirring with ways I could use When the Sun Met the Moon in the library and work in tandem with teachers for cross-curriculum instruction. (Obviously in language arts --poetic devices, SPAG, figurative language -- but in science, too. Kids could be tasked with finding out what 24/7 sunshine or extended blackout would do to the earth.) With a book that is such a feast for the eyes, the kids wouldn't mind a lesson or maybe even realize they were getting one! 

Of course, When the Sun Met the Moon can be savored with no ulterior teaching motives involved. The story can be read lightly or with deeper meaning behind it. I recommend it as a read-along or read-aloud for adults and children to enjoy together -- because a book shared is twice as nice.  

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Meet the Author:

Simran Mohinani, otherwise known as Simi Moh, was born on September 8th, 1998. She is a graduate of Northeastern University, studying entrepreneurship with a minor in global fashion. She was born and raised in Hong Kong, and now lives between there, London, and Boston. She first worked for the United Nations with their environmental conservation team before also collaborating with Amazon, Marriott, and Snupps. She published her first trilogy of books, comprised of poetry and short stories, which is very successful. She now owns and runs three of her own businesses in the fields of consulting, denim supply, and commercial goods. She also has her own charity: The SiMission. After college, she also worked full-time at her family business, which deals with properties in Europe. On the side, she still loves to write, which came to fruition with When the Sun Met the Moon, for your enjoyment and pleasure.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 

Enter the Giveaway:

ONE WINNER receives an autographed copy of
When the Sun Met the Moon
(US only; ends April 9, 2021)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:
Mar 15 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
Mar 15 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 16 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Mar 17 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 17 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight
Mar 18 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
Mar 19 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Mar 19 - Older & Smarter? – book review / giveaway
Mar 22 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Mar 23 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
Mar 24 – The Book Review Crew – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 25 – Icefairy's Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
Mar 25 - Laura's Interests – book review / giveaway
Mar 26 – michellemengsbookblog – book review / author interview / giveaway
Mar 29 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Mar 30 – Hall Ways Blog – book review / giveaway
Mar 30 - Westveil Publishing – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 31 – books are love – book review / guest post / giveaway
Mar 31 - Books for Books – book review
Apr 1 – The Bespectacled Mother – book review
Apr 2 – What Polly Reads – book review / giveaway
Apr 2 - Reading is My Passion – book review
Apr 2 - I'm Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Apr 2 - Kam's Place – book review



 

Friday, March 26, 2021

A Wall of Bright Dead Feathers ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Author Interview & Giveaway!

A WALL OF BRIGHT DEAD FEATHERS
By Babette Fraser Hale


Pages: 216
Pub Date: March 1st, 2021
Categories: Short Stories / Literary Fiction

 

Scroll for Giveaway! 


Most are newcomers to the scenic, rolling countryside of central Texas whose charms they romanticize, even as the troubles they hoped to leave behind persist. Twelve stories highlight “the book’s recurring theme of desire—for freedom, for clarity, for autonomy, and for personal fulfillment…When women are alone, unencumbered and unbeholden to anyone, they engage in intense internal reflection and show reverence for nature—and during these scenes, Hale’s language is luminescent” (Kirkus Reviews). 


PRAISE FOR A WALL OF BRIGHT DEAD FEATHERS: 
“Hale shows a great respect for her characters and for the difficulty of their deceptively ordered existence, as well as for the problems they suffer because so much cannot be spoken.” -- Francine Prose, on “Silences” 

“A vivid set of tales about connection to other people and to the natural world…Hale’s lovely prose shows a keen eye for detail…”  

-- Kirkus Reviews 


Purchase Links: 

Winedale Publishing Brazos Bookstore | Amazon 



Interview with Babette Fraser Hale

 

What cultural value do you see in reading and storytelling?

In my view, reading books develops the imagination and attendant qualities of empathy and understanding better than any other practice. These are central qualities if we want a humane and responsible society. Plus reading books give us an escape from dailiness that can be very affirming.

 

How does your book relate to your life path?

Many of my characters are struggling with choices they’ve made and how those decisions relate to what they think they should do or should have done. In my view this is a lifelong struggle and ought to be.

 

Why did you decide to self-publish?

I published it with my own, established, small press because we’re in a period where the market opportunities for fiction with literary intent by older women have virtually disappeared. Covid forced my hand. I wanted to publish my husband’s retirement journal, anyway. Why not do them together? They were written twenty feet apart, after all.

 

What do you think most characterizes your writing?

Flow, attention to language, to the way words sound and the precision of their usage in the context of the characters. Also, a relationship with societal pressures of the decade as characters react to the decisions they make.

 

What was the hardest part of writing this book? 

Talking about it. Way harder. But beyond that, I would say patience. I write slowly. It’s very tempting to submit work too soon. And I think it is always a mistake to do that. The last thing one wants to do upon “finishing” a draft is to put it aside for, say, three weeks—or months. But that’s almost always a superior approach. I’ve never been a patient person.

 

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Immersing myself in the minds of my characters and residing there through numerous drafts.


Babette Fraser Hale’s fiction has won the Meyerson Award from Southwest Review, a creative artist award from the Cultural Arts Council of Houston, and been recognized among the “other distinguished stories” in Best American Short Stories, 2015. Her story “Drouth” is part of the New York Public Library’s digital collection. Her nonfiction has appeared in Texas Monthly, Houston City, and the Houston Chronicle. She writes a personal essay column for the Fayette County Record.  





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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! 

TWO WINNERS each receive a signed bookplate

+ $20 Brazos Bookstore Gift Card to buy the book 

 (US only. Ends midnight, CDT, 4/2/2021.) 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page  
for direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,  
or visit the blogs directly: 

3/23/21

Author Video

The Page Unbound

3/23/21

Excerpt

Texas Book Lover

3/24/21

Review

Book Bustle

3/24/21

BONUS Promo

LSBBT Blog

3/25/21

Review

Rainy Days with Amanda

3/25/21

Author Interview

Chapter Break Book Blog

3/26/21

Review

Missus Gonzo

3/27/21

Excerpt

All the Ups and Downs

3/28/21

Guest Post

The Clueless Gent

3/29/21

Review

StoreyBook Reviews

3/29/21

Author Interview

Hall Ways Blog

3/30/21

Review

Reading by Moonlight

3/31/21

Review

Bibliotica

3/31/21

Guest Post

Librariel Book Adventures

4/1/21

Review

It's Not All Gravy

4/1/21

Review

Forgotten Winds


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Monday, March 22, 2021

Aggravated ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Blitz & Giveaway!

AGGRAVATED
BY MICHAEL SIROIS

Publisher: Truth Boots Publishing, LLC
Pages: 389 Pages
Pub Date: December 11, 2020
Categories: True Crime / Criminal Procedural Law

Scroll for Giveaway!


Description: In 2006, the author's brother, Steve Sirois, was sentenced to serve 35 years in a Texas prison for a horrendous crime, aggravated sexual assault of a child -- a crime Steve swore he didn't commit. After the conviction, Michael started helping Steve write his appeals, but what he saw in the trial transcripts made him question how a jury could have convicted his brother based on that testimony.

Steve's accuser originally gave vague dates for the crime but soon abandoned those dates and even replaced the details of her claims with new ones. There was no forensic evidence, no DNA, no physical evidence of any kind: nothing but his accuser's words. The author wondered if he could prove that her accusations were false. But how?

Using affidavits, court transcripts, and interviews, along with additional evidence from public information requests and other factual data, the book lays out a devastating portrait of an untruthful accuser, an overzealous prosecutor, a jury that made a deal to swap votes in order to gain a conviction, and the series of lies that led to that outcome.

Purchase: Amazon 






Michael Sirois was reading by the age of four and was writing quirky short stories by the third grade. In high school he added acting to his bag of tricks. After graduating from the University of Houston, he taught writing, drama, and technology in the middle school trenches for two decades, but continued to act and write, placing well in competitions like the Writer's Digest Short Story contest and the HBO Project Greenlight series. His first novel, The Jagged Man, was published in 2015, and a two-book series, If a Butterfly, is slated to be published in late-Spring 2021.

After running educational outreach programs at Rice University for seven years, he retired and lives with his wife, Minay, in Spring, Texas, where he is hard at work on a thriller, The Hawthorn's Sting, and a mystery/thriller, Murder Between Friends, hoping to have a first draft of at least one of them by late-2021. Ideas for a few more are also floating around in that scary place called his brain. Stay tuned.

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FIVE WINNERS receive autographed copies. 

 (US only. Ends midnight, CDT, 3/29/2021) 






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