Stranges Recommends: Week of December 19th - December 25th, Merry Christmas

10 Fun Christmas Stories for 4-8 Year Olds (Children's Stories Perfect for Bedtime & Young Readers) [Kindle Edition]

By Sharlene Alexander

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If your child loves books by Mo Willems, Laura Numeroff, Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, P.D. Eastman, and Sandra Boynton, your child will fall in love with this children's Christmas story collection.

The 10 Fun Stories in this book are:

The Fright Before Christmas - A group of evil elves try to steal all the toys from Santa's workshop. Will the good elves be able to save the day?

Little Bo Peep's Lost Christmas Sheep - What happens when Molly, Bo Peep's favorite sheep, runs away on Christmas Eve?

The Very Clumsy Elf - Santa gets a unique gift request from a little boy named Timothy. Can Otto, a very clumsy elf, make the perfect gift for Timothy before its too late?

A Strange Christmas Dinner Guest - A funny story about what happens when a giant snowman knocks at the door on Christmas Eve.

When Rachel Missed Christmas - Rachel is late for everything until she learns her lesson when she misses Christmas day...

The Magical Christmas Tree - Edgar's tree turns into solid gold and grants his three special wishes.

A Surprise for Santa - A little boy named Jacob delivers the perfect surprise for Santa...

A Tree for Rockefeller Center - Follow the journey of a special tree that goes to New York City.

The Dog that Sung Christmas Carols - Milo, a singing dog, disappears on Christmas Eve. Will his family be able to find him by following his loud howling?

Mrs. Claus and the Top Secret Mission - Mrs. Claus comes up with a secret plan to help Santa figure out who is naughty or nice.

Stranges Recommends - Week of October 31st (Happy Halloween!)

Secret Bloodline - Talia Jager

What sixteen-year-old Kairi doesn’t know is that vampires do exist and she’s one of them. She was left in foster care when she was very little and grew up away from her world. Then she began to change. Feeling out of place and confused, she ran away from her foster home. A coven takes her under their wings and trains her. When she is told her parents didn’t just abandon her, but died protecting her, she sets off on a mission to find their killer.

And then she meets Aiden…a vampire hunter.

Biography

Talia Jager has been writing as far back as she can remember. As a child, her summer vacations were spent writing stories. Bedtimes were ignored when she hid under the covers with a flashlight, a notebook and a pen. At school, she kept her works-in-progress under her classwork.

She took creative writing and journalism in high school and graduated with a major in English and a minor in French. She later earned her college degree in early childhood education. Writing was pushed to the side when she fell in love and had a family.

Now, with the support of her family, she has several published books and continues to write young adult dramas.

Talia lives in Texas with her husband and five daughters. Her published works include Damaged: Natalie's Story, Teagan's Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy, If I Die Young, The Ultimate Sacrifice, and Secret Bloodline. She has also contributed to a Halloween… Read more

Fantastic Site For Viewing Book Trailers - YA Trailer Park

Thank you so much to Suzy Turner for all of her hard work and dedication.

Ebook Trailer: Dr. SillyPants And The Secret Laboratory

Dr. SillyPants And The Secret Laboratory - B.R. Stranges

Available At:

http://www.amazon.com/DR-SILLYPANTS-SECRET-LABORATORY-ebook/dp/B004WTUMBM

Mass death or worldwide bliss? The fate of the world now lies at the hands of a brilliant, yet geeky inventor, known to many as Dr. SillyPants.

For ten years Dr. SillyPants has been working on a secret project. The result was the creation of an invention like none other. Although it was intended to solve many of the world’s problems, the Government has different plans for the powerful invention.

In pursuit of wealth and supremacy, the Government will stop at nothing to get their hands on the invention. Wanting to avoid the inevitable destruction of all humankind, Dr. SillyPants and the rest of the Spantz family will do everything in their power to protect it.

Young Adult Fiction / Reluctant Readers. 33 Chapters. Approximately 286 pages. Espionage, Action Adventure, Technological Thriller. A classic story of good vs. evil told from the point-of-view of 10-year-old Brody Spantz.

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Stranges Recommends - Week of October 17th

Can You Keep a Secret?

By

Sophie Kinsella

Things are suddenly starting to look up for the hapless but optimistic Emma Corrigan. She has kept her job at Panther Cola for nearly a year, has the perfect boyfriend and hopes for a promotion to marketing executive should her first opportunity to strut her stuff and land a business deal be successful. Unfortunately, things don't go quite as planned, and on her unusually turbulent return flight from a disappointing client meeting, in a terrified state, she confesses her innermost secrets to the good-looking stranger sitting beside her. When she shows up at work the next morning, she is horrified to discover that her mystery man is none other than the revered and brilliant Jack Harper, American CEO of Panther Cola, on a weeklong visit to the company's U.K. branch. Thus begins a series of chaotic, emotionally exhausting and funny episodes that thrust Emma, with her workaholic best friend, Lissy, and their awful flatmate Jemima, into a world of fairy tales, secrets and deceit. Venturing beyond Saks and Barney's, the bestselling author of Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Ties the Knot entertains readers with backstabbing office shenanigans, competition, scandal, love and sex. The plot is gossamer thin (Jack is keeping secrets of his own) and the lopsided romance not entirely believable, but Kinsella's down-to-earth protagonist is sure to have readers sympathizing and doubled over in laughter.

Biography

Sophie Kinsella is a writer and former financial journalist. She is the number one bestselling author of Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddesss, Remember Me? and the hugely popular Shopaholic novels. She lives in London with her husband and family. She is also the author of several bestselling novels under the name of Madeleine Wickham, all published by Black Swan. Visit her website at www.sophiekinsella.co.uk.

Ebook Trailer: Mickey Angie Lowe And His Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen by B.R. Stranges

Mickey Angie Lowe and his Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen by B.R. Stranges

-A modern book for a modern reader

Available at:

http://www.amazon.com/MICKEY-ANGIE-Fantastic-Doodle-ebook/dp/B00580V4MK

Other titles

Dr. SillyPants and the Secret Laboratory

Available at:

http://www.amazon.com/DR-SILLYPANTS-SECRET-LABORATORY-ebook/dp/B004WTUMBM

Stranges Recommends: Week- October 10th

Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

From the Roman demigod camp to the prison of Death himself, The Son of Neptune reunites readers with old friends and introduces them to a whole new cast of characters. The Roman camp is a far cry from Camp Half-Blood, but it’s every bit as fascinating to explore. Our heroes battle up and down the West Coast with impossibly few days before disaster is unleashed, fighting new foes and finding new friends along the way. Some of the mysteries from The Lost Hero are solved, while others loom even larger. Rick Riordan is a master at balancing just the right amount of seriousness and levity in every situation, and his three teen narrators point out the strangeness of the iterations of ancient myths in the modern world with spot-on accuracy. With page-turning adventure, witty dialogue, and fun, fascinating characters, this second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series is a must-read for any fan of myths and fables. --Malissa Kent

Biography

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a terrific YA series by former middle school teacher and mystery writer Rick Riordan that revamps Greek mythology in a fun, fresh way kids find enthralling. A trouble-prone teen with attention deficit disorder and dyslexia, Percy is the half-blood son of Poseidon, one of 12 Olympian gods making mischief right here in 21st-century America. Praised by critics, librarians, and teachers, the Percy Jackson books have been honored with numerous awards and appear consistently on The New York Times bestseller list.

The series grew out of a sequence of bedtime stories Riordan invented for his son Haley -- who, at eight, had just been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Although Haley was having trouble in school, he loved the Greek myths and asked his dad to tell him some stories about the gods and heroes. Riordan ran through the standards from mythology, then began to invent new tales featuring some of the same characters and introducing a brave...

Interview with Morgen Bailey

Read my interview at Morgen Bailey's Blog.

A little taste:

Blog interview no.67 with children’s / young adult author Bruno Stranges

Welcome to the sixty-seventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found at http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews.

Morgen: Hello Bruno. Please tell us how you came to be a writer.

Bruno: As a teacher I often use storytelling as a way to enhance my classroom lessons. Regardless of the subject, I found that storytelling was an excellent motivator for my students and helped to maintain interest. The summer after my first year teaching, I set a goal to write my first manuscript. I put my storytelling to the test and as a result Dr. SillyPants and the Secret Laboratory was created. I guess from then on I got the itch to write. It’s an itch I can’t scratch (I am currently working on 3 other manuscripts simultaneously) but I love it!

Morgen: Me too. (I wondered what that annoyance was ) What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Morgen Bailey's Blog

Check out my interview with Morgen Bailey on July 18th.

Thanks to Morgen for interviewing me about my writing. This was my first interview of hopefully many more to come.

http://www.amazon.com/MICKEY-ANGIE-Fantastic-Doodle-ebook/dp/B00580V4MK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318468864&sr=1-1

Children's Books

Another Excellent Blog for Indie Writers

Indie Book Blog.

For indie writers like myself, I am very grateful for blogs like this one.

Bestsellers at amazon.com

DigyCat.com

Check out this fantastic website. A must for all lovers of ebooks, both authors and readers alike.

MICKEY ANGIE LOWE And His Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen Now Available

MICKEY ANGIE LOWE And His Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen is now Available at amazon.com.

Please click title for link to purchase ebook on amazon.com

Mickey Angie Lowe and His Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen is a ridiculously fast-paced story that was created for those of you who would rather play video games than read a boring book.

For Mickey Angie Lowe, school is torture, and doodling is the only thing that gets him through the boredom. Then one day Mickey is teleported into the doodle world he’s been drawing taking him on an adventure like none other.

Now Mickey must find the portal back to Earth. Unfortunately Mr. Volcanizer, the beastlike Viking and ruler of Lava Island would rather eat Mickey for dinner than allow him to get back home. Luckily Mickey has some help from a few strange yet loyal friends. But will they be able to outsmart Mr. Volcanizer?

The story is a crazy adventure with many bumps, bruises and plenty of laughs along the way. I know, I know, this sounds like a standard book. Well I haven’t told you about the best part, Mickey pulls off all the stops to keep his readers entertained.

While trying to avoid being eaten, Mickey will entertain you by breaking away to tell a joke, coming up with a riddle, playing an I Spy game, drawing a comic and much, much more. He allows you into his head, and what a fantastically strange head it is.

For Parents:

This is a humorous first person account told through the eyes of Mickey Angie Lowe. Mickey Angie Lowe And His Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen differs from a linear narrative in that is provided frequents breaks from the story in the form of daydreams. These daydreams allow young readers to have an entertaining break from the story. As a teacher I have observed first hand the benefits of frequent deviations from direct instruction. In this fast-paced technological age it is a challenge to maintain the interest of a young mind. Children are used to multi-faceted video games that allow them to frequently change levels, characters and journeys. Mickey Angie Lowe has been written with this in mind. Although the story pulls the reader in all kinds of directions, the fun-filled diversions also offer the reader a sense of control and choice.

For Kids:

This book rocks! It is unlike anything you have ever read before. Just try to contain yourself when you are reading this book in class – you don’t want your teacher to think that you are having too much fun.


Middle Grade Fiction: 28 Chapters. Approximately 21,000 words / 84 Pages.

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins!

2011 Stanley Cup Champions.

The parade in Boston was awesome. I will never forget it.

Good job boys!

NHL gear now available at nhl.com

Creativity Tip #5

Exercise your brain. One activity that is sure to give your mind a good workout is to write without using a specific letter. Selecting a vowel (like E) makes this even harder. Start with a sentence, then a paragraph and then an entire page.

My apologies to Ernest Vincent Wright. I ripped this idea off from him. Wright wrote Gadsby, which is a story over 50,000 words, without using the letter E.

Here is a excerpt from Gadsby:

Upon this basis I am going to show you how a bunch of bright young folks did find a champion; a man with boys and girls of his own; a man of so dominating and happy individuality that Youth is drawn to him as is a fly to a sugar bowl. It is a story about a small town. It is not a gossipy yarn; nor is it a dry, monotonous account, full of such customary “fill-ins” as “romantic moonlight casting murky shadows down a long, winding country road.” Nor will it say anything about tinklings lulling distant folds; robins carolling at twilight, nor any “warm glow of lamplight” from a cabin window. No. It is an account of up-and-doing activity; a vivid portrayal of Youth as it is today; and a practical discarding of that worn-out notion that “a child don’t know anything.”

http://www.spinelessbooks.com/gadsby/01.html

Creativity Tip #4

Have serious discussion about something that is not serious. Pretend that you are a lawyer giving your opening comments to a jury about why chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla ice cream.

Speak or write as passionately on the subject as possible. Look up information and stats to support your argument.

Here is an excerpt from a website dedicated to everything that is ice cream.

The most popular topping for ice cream is chocolate syrup.
For other ideas on toppings and syrups see our ice cream toppingssection

Ice cream as an industry has an estimated global value of 7.5 billion (USD 11bn).


The world's top 5 consumers of ice cream in order are: USA, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, Belgium/Luxembourg. In the USA, July is officially recognised as 'National Ice Cream Month'; designated by President Reagan in 1984, the idea behind it was for people to celebrate the fun in ice cream as well as recognising its nutritious value.

http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ice_cream_facts.htm

Creativity Tip #3

Take a character that you like, the more famous the better. Then put him or her in a situation and make that character do exactly the opposite of what they normally would do.

Take Mickey Mouse for example. Yes, I know, he stole MY name. Everyone knows that there is only one REAL Mickey. Anyway, he is known throughout the world as a lovable mouse. A little gross and weird, yes, I mean a talking mouse that wears people clothes…sure. So Mickey wouldn’t hurt a fly. Pretty much he is a big softie. Well what if he was actually a big meanie?

Here’s the situation. Mickey comes home and sees that Donald Duck has eaten the last piece of cheesecake from in the refrigerator. Mickey had been saving that for himself and was looking forward to eating it after a long hard day at work. What does he do for a living you may be asking? I’m not really sure. But for the sake of moving along the game, let’s say that he just came home from his job at the Swiss Cheese factory. Mickey’s job is to eat all of those tiny holes into in the cheese – I’d make sure there is no mouse slobber before you go ahead and eat that ham and Swiss sandwich next time.

So, normally, Mickey, although annoyed, would have probably forgiven Donald, only after the duck apologized though. But what if on that day, Mickey was especially grouchy? No wait, even better, let’s say that he had lost his job at the Swiss Cheese factory and now he was down right steaming mad. Maybe Mickey would react like this.

“Where is my cheesecake!” Screams Mickey as he stands before the refrigerator.

“I’m sorry Mickey, were you saving that for yourself?” Responds Donald, a little embarrassed.

“Yes, Fishbrain, as a matter of fact I was!”

“I’m sorry Mickey, I didn’t know. Maybe next time you can label it with your name or something, just so there is no confusion.”

“Maybe if you decided to shed a few pounds, I wouldn’t have this problem at all, you blubberbottom!”

“Mickey, there’s no need for name calling, it was an accident.”

“An accident. AN ACCIDENT! I”LL GIVE YOU AN ACCIDENT!”

Mickey grabs Donald by his collar, and gives him nuggies until Donald cries and wets himself. Then he goes back into the fridge, grabs the mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise and dumps it on his head.

“Maybe next time you’ll think before you stuff your FUGLY FACE!

There you have it. Mickey, not being Mickey. So next time you are bored, go ahead and try it. Battle your friend to see who can come up with the most out-of-character situation. Just in case you are stuck for ideas, try out these:

· Winnie the Pooh finds out that Eeyore has gone swimming in his jar of honey.
· Batman comes home to find out that the Joker has put on his bat suit and has been impersonating him.
· Alvin and the Chipmunks find out that Dave never bought them any Christmas presents.
· Fred Flintstone discovers that Barney has been using his toothbrush as a back scratchier.
· It actually is Frosty the Snowman’s birthday, and nobody bothered to show up to his party.
· Charlie Brown is invited to go out with the Great Pumpkin on Cabbage Night.
· Spiderman discovers that he can fly. If that weren’t enough, he discovers that he can fly faster than Superman. How about a race?

**Excerpt from MICKEY ANGIE LOWE And His Crazy Fantastic Doodle Pen. Available on amazon.com - June 2011**

Creativity Tip #2

Today's tip involves looking at an object and imagining something entirely different. For example, I was driving on the highway when I spotted a torn up tire at the side of the road. Instantly I thought that it looked like a Killer Whale diving into the ocean or in this case the road.

Challenge yourself? Look at a cloud in the sky - how many different objects can you see in that cloud?

An add on to this activity is to think of a story to go along with the object. In the case of the whale, maybe it was being transported by a helicopter when it was accidentally dropped. Acting on instinct, the whale attempted to dive into the water. Unfortunately for the whale, it was jsut a puddle. Poor Killer Whale.

Creativity Tips

I thought that I would offer some suggestions for maintaining and enhancing a creative mind.

I truly believe that my creativity stems from a deep connection with my childhood. As a result I devote a lot of time and energy to my playful, childish side. Successful authors always recommend for new, emerging authors to write everyday.

Here are some topics that can help:

Creativity Tip #1

Sing whatever you do. I love doing this with my son, whether I am changing his diaper or giving him a bath, singing it out makes it even more fun and can pass the time a lot quicker. He is also at the age now where he love to sing along and add in his own words.

That's a full diapee, oh it's full of pee-pee, man it would be lovely...if Mikey would use the potty, but oh he is not quite ready, no matter, daddy will always love you buddy.

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DR. SILLYPANTS AND THE SECRET LABORATORY

DR. SILLYPANTS AND THE SECRET LABORATORY is now available a the Kindle Store: amazon.com.

Product Description

Mass death or worldwide bliss? The fate of the world now lies at the hands of a brilliant, yet geeky inventor, known to many as Dr. SillyPants.

For ten years Dr. SillyPants has been working on a secret project. The result was the creation of an invention like none other. Although it was intended to solve many of the world's problems, the Government has different plans for the powerful invention.

In pursuit of wealth and supremacy, the Government will stop at nothing to get their hands on the invention. Wanting to avoid the inevitable destruction of all humankind, Dr. SillyPants and the rest of the Spantz family will do everything in their power to protect it.

Young Adult Fiction / Reluctant Readers. 33 Chapters. Approximately 286 pages. Espionage, Action Adventure, Technological Thriller. A classic story of good vs. evil told from the point-of-view of 10-year-old Brody Spantz.

Please click title (above) to view ebook details.

Upcoming eBook Launches

DR. SILLYPANTS AND THE SECRET LABORATORY (YA Fiction)

NOW AVAILABLE - Click Title Above

MICKEY ANGIE LOWE AND HIS CRAZY FANTASTIC DOODLE PEN - Volume 1 (Juvenile Fiction)

Available June 2011

FARRAH IN FAIRYLAND (YA Fiction)

Available Summer 2012

PAULIE POTATOES (YA Fiction)

Available Winter 2012