"Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday" by Alysson Foti Bourque

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday

by Alysson Foti Bourque

Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday is the fourth book in the Alycat series by Alysson Foti Bourque. Also available: Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day! (read my blog post), Alycat and the Monday Blues (read my blog post), and Alycat and the Friendship Friday.

Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday is currently on tour with iRead BookTours. The tour stops here today for my review, a guest post by the author, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

A “Mom’s Choice Award Winner”! Alycat’s brother, Bugsy, is playing in a golf tournament with some of his friends and wants to use his lucky ball to win the game. But when Alycat forgets his lucky ball at home, Bugsy learns what luck is really all about. Can Bugsy win the tournament without his lucky ball? Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday is part of the Alycat Series.

Book Video

Praise for the Book

“In Bourque's charming fourth picture book, ...returning Alycat fans will be happy to see more of their favorite heroine and her visually diverse cast of feline family and friends. The book is also a beginner's introduction to the sport of golf, with a helpful glossary in the back. Cat fans will be won over by the whimsical artwork and Bugsy's triumph. This sweet and beautifully illustrated story will capture young cat fanciers and parents who want to teach their children about self-reliance. Great for fans of Stan and Jan Berenstain, Janette Sebring Lowrey.” ~ BookLife Reviews

“This book provides an opportunity for parents to discuss the benefits of practice in every area of a child's life - from schoolwork, sports, or playing a musical instrument. Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday, written by Alysson Foti Bourque, teaches an important life lesson to young readers. It is one book of a series that children will love!” ~ Readers' Favorite

“Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday has been named among the best in family-friendly media, products, and services.” ~ Mom's Choice Awards®

“I think this is a wonderful book for families to share - especially those with preschool and young elementary aged students. Kids begin "competing" at such young ages-and this is a great book for parents to help children understand talent, perseverance--and confidence in their growing abilities. This is a fun, easy to read story that is perfect to open larger discussions for families about success in activities - and the psychological significance of those ‘lucky charms’ and ‘rituals’. This one even has a little glossary of golf terms so that readers can better understand the Bugsy's golf game! I love this series and would definitely recommend the series for young readers.” ~ Angela

“The illustrations are bright and eye catching to a young reader. The simple but engaging storyline keeps young readers attention. It was a joy to read to some of the young ones at my local library. They really enjoyed the captivating tale and lovely characters. The Alycat’s ABC’s of Golf is wonderful extension to the book. Which helps open ended questions about the game of golf with engaging vocabulary.” ~ Gwendalyn A

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

On Tournament Tuesday, Bugsy doesn’t have his lucky golf ball, so Alycat makes him a new one without his knowledge. Will Bugsy find out? Can he win without his lucky ball? After all, as Bugsy’s mother says, “It’s not luck that helps your golf game, it’s practice and hard work.” This is a great lesson for children to learn, and it applies to all aspects of life.

The illustrations by Chiara Civati bring these cute characters to life. I love the bits of color inserted into the text that correspond to things in the illustrations (for example, the characters’ names in colors that match their clothing so that we know who’s who). At the end of the book, you’ll find “Alycat’s ABCs of Golf”, a glossary of golfing terms. I just wish more of these terms were used in the story.

A fun, inspirational, and educational book for the kids.

Guest Post by the Author

How to be a Better Reader

I have been going into schools for author visits for over four years now, teaching students about the Alycat series and reading. When I give a presentation to students and parents, I have a slide that I present called “The MEOWS to Being a Better Reader”. The first letter of each item spells MEOWS.

1.     MARK IT UP

Allow readers to highlight and markup their favorite parts of the book.

2.     EYE MUSCLE MEMORY

Watch TV with closed caption on to train your eyes to look for words.

3.     OWNERSHIP

Bring readers to bookstores/libraries and let them choose ANY book/magazine they want.

4.     WRITE TO READ

To become a better writer, read. To become a better reader, write.

5.     SIMILARITIES

Introduce books with similar interests to reader.

So many times, children are forced to reader books that do not interest them. This will only bring resentment and a life-long hate of reading. I allow my own children to pick out their own books at the library or bookstores, regardless of the age range. However, they aren’t allowed to read books that are inappropriate for their age range. Sometimes my middle schoolers will pick up picture books, and that is OK! They are reading and using their imagination!

About the Author

Alysson Foti Bourque is the author of the award-winning Alycat series. Alysson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Juris Doctor degree from the Southern University Law Center.

After practicing law for six years, she traded in writing trial briefs for writing children’s books. Alysson enjoys public speaking opportunities at schools, conferences, and festivals nationwide. She hopes to inspire people of all ages to follow their dreams and believe in themselves wholeheartedly.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of two autographed copies of Alycat and the Tournament Tuesday by Alysson Foti Bourque (US only).

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"Free Pizza" by G. C. McRae

GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY

Free Pizza

by G. C. McRae

Free Pizza by G. C. McRae is currently on tour with iRead Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Brian McSpadden is always hungry. Does he have a disease? Worms? Does it have something to do with his being adopted? He spends his days at his crazy friend Danny’s house, hoping for snacks, but nothing seems to fill the void.

Then Brian receives a mysterious birthday card that says Free Pizza. He soon discovers the card has nothing to do with food and everything to do with the big questions in his life: where did I come from, why did my mother give me up and is there anyone out there who will like me the way I am?

Excerpt

As soon as he was in the door, the boys came tearing out of their room and went for the hugs and their daddy time. That meant that as soon as he sat down in the kitchen, they climbed up onto his lap and hijacked his first half an hour at home. Today they got to him down in the landing, before he had his shoes off.

“We went to the doctor!” Kyle announced.

I was way too antsy to sit there. So I got up and went around into the kitchen and slouched in Mom’s chair to listen.

“I know,” Dad said. “Are you all right?”

Mom was at the kitchen counter. “Oooh, I’ve had a day of it. It was a complete waste of time. We already knew it isn’t allergies.”

“No? What is it, then?”

“He doesn’t know. He’s sending Kyle for more tests. To a nose specialist. They got us in next Monday. At least we don’t have to wait too long.”

“So what’s wrong with him?” Dad came up into the kitchen. He pushed through the boys and went straight to the fridge for his after-work beer. Whenever he took his hat off after work, he always had a piece of his white hair sticking out in some weird direction. He never noticed and he never cared. Today, it was a bunch of jagged spikes veering off to the left.

“They have to do a scope thing up in his sinuses or whatever. Polyps. He might have polyps. That’s what’s making his nose run.”

It was Kyle’s turn to interject. “I got plops, Daddy!”

Dad laughed.

“Paul-ips,” Mom corrected him. “Like Saint Paul?”

There was silence in the kitchen, as if no one knew what she was talking about.

Dad cracked his beer and sat down opposite me. The boys piled onto his lap. Out of habit, Dad tried to keep Kyle’s nose away from the white shirt of his security guard uniform. “So what do they do about ’em?”

“Well,” Mom huffed, furious, “he wasn’t going to do anything! Ten months of this nonsense. With the drugstore full of things we could use? Then he says, oh no, not till after we see the specialist. I got so angry! I told him I wasn’t leaving without a prescription.”

“Okay…”

“Then we stood in line forever. It’s a spray.”

“It goes up here!”

“Kyle, get your finger out of there.”

“Did it hurt?”

“No. Yes! But it tickled.”

“Did you ask about Jayden’s tummy pains?”

Jayden had been having stomach troubles on and off for the last couple of weeks.

“Oh, he poked him in the side and looked down his throat. Then he says, ‘It’s probably gas or growing pains.’ I swear we need a new doctor. All morning, for what?”

“That’s too bad.”

“That’s not the half of it,” Mom said.

“Oh?”

“I asked Dr. Tan how Kyle could have gotten these polyps things—if that’s what he has. You know what he said?”

“No.”

“He asked if there was dust or cobwebs or dirty carpets in our house. I was so insulted. Of course not, I told him. I clean every day. Their clothes are spotless. And my house is immaculate. And you know what he says?”

“What?”

“He says, ‘Well, perhaps your house is too clean.’ Can you imagine? I just about packed up the kids and walked right out of there.”

Jayden decided to steer the conversation back to hilarity. “And Kyle’s got pull-ups in his nose!”

“That’s nice,” Dad said. Then to Mom: “I imagine you were upset.”

“Oh, like I said, that’s not the half of my day. You have to hear about Brian.”

That got me out of my slouch in a hurry.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

“This story covers a myriad of situations that a child or teenager might experience and would give them a character to relate to if they read this book. It might spur some conversations between parents and their children.” ~ StoreyBook Reviews

“Free Pizza is a humorous - yet real - look at the family and life of a 12-year-old. The author really did a great job telling this story from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old boy. […] McRae keeps readers interested from start to finish. I settled into the story immediately. I loved the author's writing style and the pace of his story. […] I think this is an excellent read for older elementary aged students or middle school readers.” ~ Angela

“Free Pizza is a charming, wholesome and amusing story about a very typical 12 year old boy. I immediately felt as if Brian could be any 12 year old boy that I had known, always hungry, trying to do his best, but somehow keeps getting in trouble. […] Between Brian's family, his birth mother's family and Danny's family, the fact that there is no normal is really highlighted. Each of these families are unique and a little crazy in their own way, but all of them share love and acceptance.” ~ Stephanie

“I thought it was a pretty good read that will keep the reader laughing out loud and, also, learn some very valuable life lessons. I recommend it. I would love to read more like this one by G. C. McRae in the future. I look forward to reading more by him.” ~ Amy C

“This story is well-written, with humor, action adventure and mystery included within its pages.” ~ LAWonder10

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

“My story is completely weird. It’s all about potatoes and snot and people falling out of trees. It’s about stamps and boobs and it even has a farmer from Alpha Centauri. […] My story has almost nothing to do with pizza, tragically. It’s mostly about me getting to meet my birth mom …” So begins the story of Brian McSpadden, whose birth mother makes contact with him on his twelfth birthday. His aunt gives him a strangely prophetic card saying Free Pizza, but it’s not what he was expecting. Neither is anything else, for that matter, as he spends the holidays pursuing crazy adventures with his friend Danny.

Our narrator has a great voice, full of irreverent humor and astute observations. He keeps the reader engrossed by foreshadowing events to come. The book is full of quirky characters. Unfortunately, I didn’t like any of them. Danny no redeeming qualities. Actually, neither does anyone else. The parents are all hopeless, the kids annoying and uncaring, and Danny’s mother is especially obnoxious. That I kept reading is a testament to the author’s writing. The book is a bit long for the target middle grade audience, with each scene being overly lengthy. Then, when the main story finally wraps up, we get nearly another year’s worth of story in just two chapters. There is just too much going on, in general. The author covers a range of heavy themes, including adoption, teen pregnancy, disability, stalking, bullying, home-schooling, hoarding, mental illness, embezzlement, robbery, breaking and entering, lying, assault, pedophilia, arson, foster care, and bad parenting. These are dealt with in a light-hearted manner and may serve as a starting point for conversations on these topics with your children. I understand the author has gone through numerous revisions of this book, which is semi-autobiographical. He might have been better off writing a number of shorter chapter books, each focusing on one topic.

Warnings: bad behavior by kids and adults alike.

Some of My Favorite Lines

“I’m a stranger who got made by strangers and the only instruction book that came with me was in a foreign language.”

“I tried getting a crowbar of words back into the conversation, to pry it open so I could defend myself, but she wouldn’t budge.”

“I wasn’t sure how I could hate myself any more than I already did, but hey, I had the whole night to try.”

“She ain’t got a maternal bone in her body. She likes her books. That’s her thing.”

Guest Post by the Author

Autobiography versus Fiction

I didn’t realize how much my own writing was at root autobiography until I started visiting schools and kids started asking me pointed questions. “Is there a real place like that?” a small girl asked after I’d read her class a fairy tale. It took me a second to fish for the answer. “Yes,” I admitted. “It’s in my back yard.”

On my way home, I went over the landscape of my most recent novel. The house where I grew up, check. My great aunt’s farm, check. A story told to me by a rough-looking farmer I met at the county dump, check. After a while, I started wondering, had I actually written anything original? Something that wasn’t rooted in my own time and place, my relatives, friends, acquaintances, and all the stories they’d told me over the years?

As a young writer, I tried to hide my origins, pretend I was born into the world of wood-paneled private libraries where geniuses in smoking jackets stood around exchanging witticisms over their cigars and single malt whiskeys. My first short stories, inspired by events in my own life, felt like slumming. It wasn’t until I had kids of my own that realized, no, this was my world, my only world. And the longer I lived in it, the more I saw the stories that were unique to it, the things that no one else would know how to write.

When I came to write the first drafts of Free Pizza, back when I was 25, I tried to stay close to my origins for the simple reason that I already had more than enough to contend with. Learning to write novels involves so many unfamiliar tasks, choosing to write about a world I knew was analogous to clinging to the side the pool, knowing there was ten feet of drownable water below me. It took 35 years and writing many other successful books, to finally let go of the side. By then, I had enough writing skill that I could pick and choose events and characters by pure invention, from research, or from my own life - according to the needs of the story. And that’s the place every writer wants to be: at the helm of their story, in control, and not blown around by laziness, lack of skill, or that devil that never seems to give a writer any peace: nostalgia.

About the Author

G. C. McRae is the bestselling author of two young adult novels, three illustrated children's books and a collection of original fairy tales. His writing is fall-down funny, even when the theme is darker than a coal-miner’s cough. McRae reads to anybody at any time, in person or online, for free, which probably explains why he meets so many people and sells so many books.

In his latest work, Free Pizza, McRae spins the highly emotional themes from his decidedly unfunny childhood into a brilliantly comic yarn. After being given up for adoption by his teenage mom back when single girls were forced to hide unplanned pregnancies, his adoptive parents didn’t exactly keep him under the stairs but, well, let's just say, there were spiders.

A lot has changed since then. McRae’s own children have now grown, and he runs a small farm with his wife, who is herself an award-winning writer.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of three $20 Amazon gift card and a print copy of Free Pizza by G. C. McRae OR one of two print copies OR one of ten ebook copies (US/Canada only).

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"Writer Get Noticed!" by Colleen M. Story

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Writer Get Noticed!:
A Strengths-Based Approach to Creating a Standout Author Platform

by Colleen M. Story

Writer Get Noticed! by Colleen M. Story is currently on tour with iRead Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Stop feeling invisible and start attracting the attention you deserve!

Have you been writing for years, but feel like no one notices? Have you published your stories, only to gain a handful of readers? Do your marketing efforts feel like shouting into a void?

Veteran writer and motivational coach Colleen M. Story helps you break the spell of invisibility to reveal the author platform that will finally draw readers your way.

There are more books out there than ever before, and readers have many other things vying for their attention. A writer can feel like a needle in a haystack, and throwing money at the problem rarely helps. What does work is creating a platform that stands out, but in a sea of a million platforms, how is one to do that?

Writer Get Noticed! takes a new approach, dispelling the notion that fixing your writing flaws and expanding your social media reach will get you the readers you deserve. Instead, discover a myriad of strengths you didn’t know you had, then use them to find your author theme, power up your platform, and create a new author business blueprint, all while gaining insight into what sets you apart as a writer and creative artist.

Writers need readers to achieve their highest potential. Find your way to stand out, and let it lead you to the writing career that fulfills all your expectations and more.

In this motivational and inspiring book, you’ll learn:

·         Why simply improving your writing skills won’t take you where you want to go.

·         How discovering your strengths makes you a more effective writer and entrepreneur.

·         What you really want from writing and why that matters.

·         How to use the three-brain decision-making system to build a more successful author platform.

·         What truly motivates you and how to use that to propel yourself forward.

·         How to use the “find your author theme formula” to write a theme that fits your creative style.

·         How imposter syndrome can stall your progress, and how to overcome it.

·         Why risk-taking is critical to writing success, and how to make better decisions about the risks you take.

When you find the treasure that’s been inside you all along, don’t be surprised if it opens new doors you never thought possible.

Excerpt

Have you ever looked up to another writer, admired her success, and said to yourself, “That’s what I need to do. I’ll just follow what she did.”

It’s a common way of thinking, and in most cases, a good way. We naturally learn from observing others, and it’s always helpful to study those who have reached the level of success we aspire to. The problem comes from expecting if you do exactly what this other person did, you’ll accomplish the same level of success. That’s a symptom of small thinking, and it rarely works. In fact, this sort of outlook often leads to discouragement and despair rather than success. When you do (or think you did) everything the successful author did, and the same rewards refuse to come your way, you may feel like a failure. But in truth, you didn’t fail. You just followed a path that wasn’t meant for you.

Consider how many variables there are in life. To start, no two people are the same. You don’t have the same talents, gifts, or personality as someone else. You are you, and that means you must forge your own path to success.

Yes, you can absolutely pick up tips from others, learn important skills from them, study as an apprentice, and use your newly acquired knowledge to take giant steps forward in your career … as long as you go about it with the right mindset, understanding that all you’re doing is picking up tools to make your journey a little easier.

But if you think, even for one minute, that following in another’s steps will take you to the top of that same mountain of success, you’re making a huge mistake. We all have our own mountains to climb. You have to find yours.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

“Colleen M. Story has taken a different approach to guide authors toward that platform that will attract an audience to our books. Whether a beginning writer or one with several books published, any writer will benefit from reading Story’s suggestions, doing the exercises, and making a plan.” ~ Pat Stoltey

“… what sets Story apart from other ‘how-to’ writing coaches is her well-researched, scientific background - especially neuroscience - for her advice as well as her fresh, friendly style that makes the reader feel as if we are just sitting down for a chat. This book is all you need whether you are an experienced author or one just starting out.” ~ Lisa T

“The best part of the book by far is Colleen Story: she is upbeat, positive, resilient, level-headed, and creative in her tone and flow so a writer doesn't feel tossed and lost in what can be overwhelming, daunting, and off-putting.” ~ Louise Foerster

“My biggest take away right from the start was the idea of building a strong author platform around my brand, one I feel truly represents who I am as an author and what I am trying to do. I like that each chapter ended with exercises - important steps to help bring your personal voice to the surface so you can truly begin to understand your motivation and your strengths.” ~ Marilyn R Wilson

“Writer Get Noticed! is a superb resource for anyone struggling to establish their own author theme and platform in an increasingly crowded marketplace. I was very impressed with this book and found lots of the exercises and ideas were as helpful to me as a blogger because Story focuses on our motivations to write and how we can better develop our author platforms through a greater understanding of our individual motivations.” ~ Stephanie Jane (Literary Flits)

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

In Writer Get Noticed! the author states that “it’s time to create an author platform uniquely right for you” as your “platform is the key not only to the success of your books, but to your personal and professional fulfillment as a creative entrepreneur.” To that end, she provides a number of exercises for you to do as you read the book. “Though you could simply read the book and learn some important lessons, I guarantee you’ll gain a lot more if you work with me as we go.” She’s right. Don’t skip these!

The book is well written and well set out, with each topic flowing into the next. The author illustrates her points with case studies of real-life authors, as well as with examples from her own career. This comprehensive guide will lead you through an in-depth analysis of your strengths and show you how to match your talents to your passions to create a plan of action. By the end of the book, you will have come up with your author theme, your tagline, and your mission statement, and a much clearer purpose of what you want to achieve as a writer.

This book will benefit all types of writers, whether you write books, articles, or blog posts. As a blogger myself, reading this book has helped me clarify my motivations and define my own mission. The author makes it clear that there’s more to being a writer than merely writing a book. Always remember that “there’s joy in the act of creation that fills our hearts and keeps us coming back to the writer’s desk. But sometimes we forget that it’s on the other side of that desk, where we interact with others, that we discover where we truly belong.”

Inspiring.

About the Author

Colleen M. Story is on a mission to inspire people from all walks of life to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment. Her latest release, Writer Get Noticed!, is a strengths-based guide to help writers break the spell of invisibility and discover unique author platforms that will draw readers their way. Her prior nonfiction release, Overwhelmed Writer Rescue, was named Solo Medalist in the New Apple Book Awards, Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book, and first place in the 2018 Reader Views Literary Awards.

With over 20 years as a professional in the creative industry, Colleen has authored thousands of articles for publications like Healthline and Women's Health; worked with high-profile clients like Gerber Baby Products and Kellogg's; and ghostwritten books on back pain, nutrition, and cancer recovery. Her literary novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews' INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, an Idaho Author Awards first place winner, and New Apple Solo Medalist winner, among others.

Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card (US/Canada only).

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Website – Writing and Wellness

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Website – Writer CEO

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