When Monsters Come Out to Play by Samantha Foster

A cute little bedtime story meant to ease children’s fears of monsters.

Samantha Foster’s first book, When Monsters Come Out to Play, is a short story rich with kid friendly rhymes and outstanding illustrations.

There’s a variety of monsters sure to befriend any child’s imagination.

By the end of the story, children will not only be fearless but will have chosen a favorite monster!

Cloud Dancer by P.A. Bechko

The Spaniards are coming, the Spaniards are coming!

The year is 1598 and the Kere tribe of the Acoma Pueblo were about to be annihilated from their peaceful home in New Mexico.

Being a Kere Native American woman required domesticity, certainly not a hunter and warrior, but Cloud Dancer was having none of that. She couldn’t hide in her teepee any longer when the Spaniards came to take whatever food and supplies they wanted. She knew she had to stand up for her people.

In this battle, she lost. The Acoma Pueblo were wiped out. A handful managed to escape, seeking a new home with nearby tribes, but as a whole, the Acoma Pueblo were wiped out.

Cloud Dancer’s life was saved by a young Spanish warrior, who knew his people were wrong. He risked everything saving her. It was from her new friend she learned to ride a horse and shoot “the stick that thunders.”

Missing her family, friends, and previous lover - Apache warrior and medicine man, White Hawk - Cloud Dancer finds she is alone. As with other survivors from the Acoma Pueblo, she decides to live with an Apache tribe. Their ways are very different from the Kere ways, but she doesn’t want to be alone, wanting to be a warrior and hunter for the Apaches. Her goal is to fight the Spaniards when they attack again.

The story of Cloud Dancer is a brilliant historical novel filled with Native American events and details for the passionate historical fiction reader. The romance added to the story, without lessening the historical significance.

I stumbled upon Cloud Dancer in my search for historical fiction and was so glad I did. I appreciated the research P.A. Bechko devoted to her book and I aspire to write my own historical novel with as much skill and expertise.

Winston & Me by Mark Woodburn

Winston & Me is a book that supports my love of historical fiction. The research Mark Woodburn undertook is appreciated by readers eager to learn a part of history missed in their education. I am embarrassed to admit I knew little about Winston Churchill, but Winston & Me became my private tutor in the most enjoyable way.

The fictitious character, James Melville, was a fifteen year old Scottish young man, who told the story of his relationship with Winston that developed throughout WW1 in Britain, Edinburgh, and France.

I have always felt the best way to learn history is by reading a well written, captivating, historical novel. Mark Woodburn knocked it out of the park!

As with all war stories, events are not always pretty. The reader will experience the horrors of war, yet at the same time, the public and private life of Winston Churchill.

I recommend Winston & Me for the history buff along with readers of all ages wanting to expand their knowledge of WW1 and Winston Churchill.

Book 1 Learn the Numbers (Pre-K Learning Series) by Sandra L. Portman, Illustrated by Kopralzz

Schools today are pleading for more parental involvement and this Pre-K Learning Series is perfect for the parent to get started.

There are four levels and chapters (for age 0-4) in Book 1 where the preschooler learns numbers from 1-10. From imitating sounds of words and numbers, to identifying pictures and answering questions, to pretending to read, to counting from 1-10, the child enjoys appropriate and clear images of numbers, fish, cars, and teddy bears.

Outstanding lessons for the child written with the parent in mind for ease and a sense of accomplishment for both.

Santorini, Greece Travel Guide 2013: Attractions, Restaurants, and More... (One Day In A City) by Gina Douglas Tarnacki

The travel guide begins with an abridged but captivating history of the beautiful island of Santorini, Greece by Gina Douglas Tarnacki. It continues by informing readers how to travel to Santorini, by ferry or cruise, if by air one must travel to Athens.

Tarnacki highlights her suggestions for the wine tasting travelers, the 4- wheeler adventurers, and the beach lovers.

Restaurants, foods, night clubs, hotel accommodations, museums and monuments for the history buffs are described to enhance the best one day experience in Santorini.

Pertinent information is included, such as, pickpocket precautions, holiday and off-season tips, currency, costs, operation times, and more.

Santorini, Greece Travel Guide 2013: Attractions, Restaurants, and More... (One Day In A City) by Gina Douglas Tarnacki also includes photos to entice the one day traveler to get the most out of their day in Santorini.

Rome, Italy City Travel Guide 2012: Attractions, Restaurants, and More... (One Day In A City) by Gina Douglas Tarnacki

An abridged travel guide that includes everything.

The travel guide begins with an abridged history of Rome, short and brief, yet includes all the city’s highlights for the traveler to get the most out of one day in Rome.

Means of travel include - ship, train, plane and car, to experience the top ten sites of Rome in a day. It includes a photo of each site with pertinent comments appropriate for the one day visit.

The guide is all about not wasting time, yet not missing anything of importance. It includes time saving tips, such as, times the sites are open and less crowded, inexpensive and quick ways to get from one place to another, nearby restaurants, telephone numbers, hotel accommodations, phrases translated from English to Italian and even pickpocket precautions.

This is the perfect travel guide as it contains everything the traveler needs to enjoy one day in Rome. It can easily fit in one’s pocket for quick and easy access.

Renaissance (Byland Crescent Book Two) by William Gordon

Renaissance is the story of two families, the Cowgill’s and the Fisher’s. WW1 ended and the families needed to persevere after suffering heart-rending personal losses. From England to Australia they became familiarized with innovative ways of life. They also faced the challenges of forgiveness within their families.

Reading Renaissance, I enjoyed following the Cowgill and Fisher families from Requiem, Byland Crescent Book One. The characters remained interesting as they lived through dramatic life events at such trying times.

I especially enjoyed the historical aspect of Renaissance, as it’s my favorite genre.

The Byland Crescent Series has five volumes, and I’m currently looking forward to reading Book Three.