Please Welcome Ashley Stambaugh as she shares her New Release with Us!

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you! I’ve got Ashley here today and she’s sharing her new release with us! Take it away Ashley!

Back cover blurb

Melina Rowe never thought her quiet, simple life could change to one full of fear and confusion just by accidentally bumping into someone. But after she collides with an elderly man named Walter, she starts to hear people’s thoughts and have unsettling visions.

Walter reveals himself as a guiding angel and explains to Melina that she’s a rare type of human who can absorb angel powers. But her special ability is more of a problem for her than a gift.

The powers are too strong for humans and will eventually kill Melina unless she can successfully use them to help a select individual who’s in need of guidance. Her chances are slim, though, seeing that the handful of other humans this has happened to before didn’t survive.

Scared for her life, Melina desperately tries to help a young man named Lee, but his continual resistance and her struggle with the powers make it almost impossible. Her situation only grows worse when a trio of soul-snatching demons is sent by an unknown entity to take her soul and kill her.

As a determined Walter sets out to discover who sent the demons and why, Melina must defend herself from their relentless attacks all while trying to use powers she doesn’t fully understand to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. If she can’t figure out how to break through to Lee, the powers will ultimately destroy her. But if the powers don’t kill her first, the demons will.

Tag line

Absorbing angel powers that could possibly kill you is bad, but being hunted by ruthless demons who want your soul might be worse.

Book excerpt

Chapter One

Melina Rowe peered out of her bedroom window and wrinkled her nose. It was late October, so she knew it was cold outside, but it also appeared to be windy. These weather conditions weren’t her favorite, but she was determined to continue with her morning runs until snow prevented her from doing otherwise. She pulled her long brown hair up into a ponytail, slid a fleece headband on over her ears, and zipped up her coat before heading out her apartment door and down the stairwell to her bookstore below. The store didn’t open for another hour, so she had plenty of time. She took a quick look around and then turned to exit through the back.

Starting off in a slight jog, she followed her normal path toward the park, taking in the city in its early morning state as she went. Traffic was light, and there was only a handful of people out and about. The sky was a dull gray, and brown, dried up leaves swirled and danced around her, giving the city an even gloomier feeling. She hoped the blustery wind didn’t mean rain was on its way.

After only a few short blocks, the wrought iron gates that surrounded the park appeared alongside her. She picked up her pace and rounded a corner to her right, making her way toward the entrance, when she came upon an elderly man walking from the opposite direction. They met each other so suddenly that neither of them had a chance to move out of the way. Melina collided with the man, and it was in that moment that it happened.

As soon as their bodies made contact, she felt a powerful surge of energy pass through her and then a bright white light exploded between them, knocking them both away from each other. Melina, who had been knocked to the ground, pushed herself up to her feet, wondering what had just happened. The sensation that went through her body was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was very sharp and intense, like an electric shock, but at the same time it was soothing and warm. The feeling still lingered in her body as she finally looked over at the man.

After catching his balance, he looked over at her, and she noticed his expression of confusion and shock. His mouth opened as if to say something, but nothing came out. He stared at her for a moment and then finally he spoke to her.

“You,” he muttered.

“Excuse me?” she asked, returning his confused look.

“You’re one of them.”

 

About the author

Ashley Stambaugh grew up in a small town in Illinois where she and her two siblings created some of the best memories playing on their family’s farm. She stayed in the southern region of the state to attend college where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and also met her husband.

Now, she and her husband live in central Illinois and spend their time creating new memories with their two rambunctious boys and their comical black Pug. She also enjoys reading, taking long walks, and finding great bargains. When her sons are a little bit older, she has a great desire to travel with her family. Oh, and she also has a slight obsession with chocolate.

When she’s not busy chasing after her two young children or losing herself in a good book, you can find her curled up on her couch with her laptop, writing.

Social media links

Website: www.ashleystambaugh.blogspot.com
Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/ashleystambaughauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleystambaugh

L.R.W. Lee’s here to share her New Release with Us!

Please welcome L. R. W. Lee. She’s sharing the release of the second book in the Andy Smithson series, Venom of the Serpent’s Cunning with us with a stop on her virtual book launch tour and an interview of the series hero, Andy Smithson. And there’s a giveaway too! Just click the link at the end of this Post!

1) What’s your name?

My name is Andy Smithson and I’m 11 years old.

2) Where are you from?

Lake Hills, TX but I keep getting pulled into Oomaldee, how, I’m never quite sure. I’ve been there twice so far. I love it there!

3) Can you tell us about your family?

I guess you could say my parents are ambitious. They both founded and are growing their own companies. Until a year ago when I came back from Oomaldee and scared them (that’s another story) they were always too busy or tired to do much with my sister and I. Things have gotten some better over the last year. They are at least making an attempt to spend time with me. Speaking of which, I also have an older sister named Madison, aka Miss Perfect. She tries to get A+s in everything. I think it’s just to try to get my parents attention. Personally, I find her annoying.

4) Do you have any hobbies?

Before I went to Oomaldee, I used to be a gamer. I was really good too! But since I’ve had to battle live dragons, the video kind are pretty boring. Since then, I’ve taken up sword fighting but I don’t know if I would call it a hobby. I don’t think of hobbies as having any practical use and based upon the creatures who have tried to kill me in Oomaldee, I’d say its way more than a hobby for me! Of course, I got this awesome sword named Methuselah the first time I was in Oomaldee. The king scared me when he told me it’s the sword that divides good and evil everywhere. He said he thought it was only a legend since it had never appeared to anyone in his lifetime. He also said there have been a lot of stories told about the battles it’s fought. Apparently legend has it that it shows up only when there is a significant showdown between good and evil about to happen. And it only appears to the one who has been judged worthy to wield it in victory. He totally freaked me out. So, I’m not sure what all I’ve yet to face, but yeah, sword fighting is kinda more than just a hobby for me.

5) Who is your best friend? Why?

Hands down, Alden. He’s a servant at Castle Avalon in Oomaldee. We’re the same age and we just hit it off the first time we met. He’s really cool. Oh, and he has neon green hair! He has a purple pegasus, named Optimistic that he rides really well. He won first prize at the Festival when I was there.

Why are we best friends? It’s hard not to be best friends when you’ve been through what we have together. He saved my life several times – once I fell in quicksand and he pulled me out, we got chased by vulture-men and narrowly escaped into the Forest of Giants where we almost got eaten. Oh yeah, you wouldn’t believe what else we’ve been through. I guess you could say what doesn’t kill you makes you closer. Mainly, I think he’s just a great guy and I trust him.

6) What is your biggest secret–the one thing you don’t want ANYBODY to know?

My biggest secret? You promise you won’t tell anyone? You have to promise!
Okay, I wish the king was my dad. He understands me and loves me and I love him back although I’ve never told him in so many words… It’s just weird to say it out loud, but it doesn’t make it untrue.

7) What are you most afraid of?

I’m afraid the time I get to spend in Oomaldee with the king and everyone else I love will end as quickly as it started. People there just “get” me, unlike my parents and others here at home. They treat me with respect and I can tell they love having me around, something not true at home. At least it doesn’t feel that way… Well, other than Razen, the new manager of the castle staff… He’s power hungry and makes my life miserable at times, so other than him…

8) What do you want more than anything?

I want my dad to accept me for who I am and stop trying to “fix” me.

9) If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for?

First, I’d ask to be the most awesomest sword fighter ever in Oomaldee!

Second, I’d wish to get rid of my annoying sister.

Third, I’d ask to spend more time in Oomaldee.

10) What is one physical attribute you are proud of?

I think I saw a whisker sprouting on my chin yesterday!!

11) What one physical attribute would you change?

I’m so short. I hate it! When will I get that growth spurt everybody talks about??? My pediatrician said I’m “small for my age”. Madison teases me that I’m vertically challenged… She’s so annoying…

12) What do you consider your special talent?

I found this last time I was in Oomaldee. I can move really, really fast when there’s danger. I mean really fast. It’s like everything around me moves in slow motion but I’m still moving in normal speed. It’s wicked cool when it happens! It’s come in handy at times, too, but that’s another story!

To enter the Giveaway click the link below!

http://www.lrwlee.com/#!giveaway/chq4

Buy Links:

Book 1: Andy Smithson: Blast of the Dragon’s Fury

Amazon:
eBook: http://amzn.to/1aT2kx0
Paper: http://amzn.to/17pu0ut

L. R. W. Lee is also excited to announce the serialized podcast of the first book in the series, Andy Smithson: Blast of the Dragon’s Fury is now available free at the iTunes store at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-smithson/id790958884

 

 

 

 

 

Book 2: Andy Smithson: Venom of the Serpent’s Cunning

Amazon Paper: http://amzn.to/1eHKa4Q
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1j6sEKP
All other eBook versions: http://bit.ly/KlCycx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio:

From an early age L. R. W. knew she I wanted to write a children’s book. Her imagination for such a book was cultivated early on as her family didn’t have a lot of money. She and her older brother were encouraged to use their imaginations to entertain themselves. And use them they did – climbing trees and tree forts, using a quilt for a matchbox car city, making puppets and putting on shows, and much more and her creativity and imagination grew.

She went to college and got a degree in Accounting. However, most folks frown on “creative accounting”, so she continued to put her imagination/writing on hold.  Her business and creative interests eventually led her to found and grow a successful company which, with her partner, she sold in January 2012, leaving her time to imagine and write for the first time.

L. R. W. lives in scenic Austin, TX with her husband, her daughter who is a Longhorn at UT Austin and her son who is in high school.

L. R. W. Lee’s contact information:

Website: LRWLee.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lrwlee
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lrwlee
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7047233.L_R_W_Lee
Podcasts: http://lrwlee.podbean.com/

Book Fair Adventures

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today and I’m going to write about a personal experience that I had over the weekend. It’s kind of funny now, but at the time…not so much.

I should have known it was going to be one of “those” days when I got up.

My alarm went off and the numbers on the clock were blinking in their neon redness twelve o’clock. My clock reverts to twelve o’clock when there’s an interruption in power. I didn’t think anything of this at the time, though I just stumbled out of bed, and jumped in the shower.

After my shower, I made my way to the kitchen to make some breakfast. As I opened the fridge, I glanced at the clock. Did a double take and glanced at it again. Then I walked forward and put my face right up next to it, just to make sure I was reading it correctly. Sure enough, it said four thirty. It was four thirty on a Saturday morning; I didn’t have to be up until seven. Of course, I freaked out a bit and then went back to bed, wet hair and all. I should have known then, what kind of day it was going to be, but I ignored this glaring sign. Totally disregarded it.

I was so excited, I was going to meet fellow author and great gal pal Lori Lapekes. We were going to share a table at a book fair/craft show/bake sale and sell our books. We haven’t done this together in quite some time and I was really looking forward to it. I went to MapQuest and found directions to our destination. Lori arrived, and together we set out for this quaint little town north of where I live.

Things were going smoothly; the directions were accurate and Lori and I were chatting, having a great time. Until…MapQuest told us to turn left on Elm Street.

That’s when things started to get a little funny. We were supposed to look for Croton-Hardy Dam Rd. We became concerned when we’d driven south for ten miles and hadn’t come across it. So we backtracked.

Pulling off the side of the road, we asked a woman who was pulling out of her driveway for directions. She gave us some, but when we got to where she directed us, the road she said we needed wasn’t there. Now we were really concerned. We didn’t want to be late and miss the fair.

We pulled up to a four-way stop and parked along the side of the road. We weren’t sure what we should do. When another car pulled up to the stop sign, I acted quickly and waved them down.

This nice young woman gave me directions. She even wrote them down for me. Lori and I were on our way. However, things still didn’t go smoothly for us.

We were on a Michigan highway and unbeknownst to me the speed limit for these highways is fifty-five miles an hour, not the seventy that I was going. At least that’s what the State Trooper said when he wrote me a speeding ticket. Boo! According to him, all State highways are fifty-five while interstate highways are seventy. I learned something new! Grrr..

We asked this officer of the law for directions and he gave them to us. It seemed like he knew what he was talking about and his directions matched the young woman’s, so we were once again on our way, going fifty-five instead of seventy. 🙂

We finally reached the tiny burg that housed the show we wanted to attend. However, there was still another glitch in the directions. According to the directions from the cop and the young woman…we were supposed to turn left. After going to the wrong school and getting still more directions. We found out we were supposed to turn right.

We weren’t out of the woods yet, though, because we still couldn’t find the school we were looking for. That’s right, you guessed it, we stopped and asked someone who was standing on her porch where the school was. She didn’t know and her daughter didn’t know either. Now, you have to understand, this was not a large town by any means.

Finally, we found it, nestled off on a side street. We were an hour late. We had a speeding ticket. But we finally made it. We even sold some books.

We talked amongst ourselves in between moments of trying to sell our books and there were bouts of hysterical laughter and tears running down our faces. Now that we had arrived, we could laugh at the comedy of errors that occurred on our way to the fair.

An Excerpt from “The Super Spies and the Pied Piper!”

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you! I’m extremely busy today, working diligently on my Coming of Age Novel. The words are flowing and I don’t want to stifle that creative flow. So for my post today, I thought I’d share with you an excerpt from the third Super Spies Novel, “The Super Spies and the Pied Piper.” I hope you enjoy it, I know I enjoyed writing it. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read it.

Chapter One

“What do you mean you lost them?” Sarah Cole fidgeted as she waited for Agent Gray to answer. I can’t believe it! He lost the only clue to our parents’ location. What is wrong with this picture?

Agitated, Sarah shifted in her seat and chewed on her lip. She was uncomfortable in the folding chair and rearranged her petite frame so she wouldn’t feel the cold metal against her bare legs. Shivering, she glanced around the all‑too‑familiar  room. The gray cement block walls no longer gave her that creepy, closed-­‐‑in feeling she’d used to get when she first came to the interrogation rooms. She remembered the first time she’d been in that tiny space. It had been the day she’d discovered the Cat Lady’s dead body. Sarah shuddered at the memory and then smiled when she remembered forming the Super Spies and bringing the Cat Lady Killer to justice.

Glancing around the room again, she realized she’d been in this room quite a bit these last few weeks, not only during the Cat Lady investigation, but the High School Bomber investigation as well. Shivering again, Sarah rubbed her arms but she really wasn’t cold. Her mind filled with the image of the bomber the Super Spies had helped apprehend just a week earlier.

Wow! Was it just last week?

She tugged at a lock of her honey colored hair, then brushed it away with an impatient hand. She sighed and glanced at her younger sister. Lacey sat beside her with her legs crossed, jiggling her foot at such a rapid rate it seemed like her whole body was electrified. She caught Sarah’s eye, and for a moment her eyes glittered like emeralds before she shifted her gaze to Aunt June, who had placed her hand on Lacey’s leg in what appeared to be an attempt to quiet her. Sarah shifted in her chair and sighed again. Are we ever going to find Mom and Dad?

A commotion out in the hall drew everyone’s attention. Sarah leaned forward and craned her neck to see what was happening.

“Chief, we’ve got an OD!” An officer yelled.

“What?” Chief Johnson yelled as he rushed by. “An OD on what? Give me the details.”

“The parents found their son unconscious in his room this morning, and an empty bottle of prescription medication on his bedside table.”

“What was it?” Chief Johnson asked.

“It’s Myodine.”

“Who makes it?”

“Ah… Piper Drugs.”

“Call Poison Control with the name and manufacturer and ask them what to do about an overdose. Instruct the parents to get their son to the hospital pronto,” Chief Johnson ordered.

“They’ve brought him here.”

“What?” Chief Johnson exclaimed.

The sound of policemen rushing through the hall pulled Sarah and her sister out of their seats. They hurried to the door, unable to stifle their curiosity. Peering down the corridor, Sarah caught a glimpse of a young man sagging between two officers as they desperately tried to keep him on his feet. One officer gently slapped his face while the other officers held him up. The young man blinked and then gagged, puking on the officer in front of him. The rancid stench of fresh vomit filled the air.While plugging her nose, Sarah ducked back inside the interrogation room, followed by her sister. Sarah closed the door, hoping it would keep the smell from penetrating the room.

“Did you hear that, Lace? Piper Drugs! That’s the company Dad works for,” Sarah whispered in her sister’s ear before proceeding back to her seat.

Lacey opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Agent Gray cleared his throat and motioned for them to sit down. He continued his conversation as if they hadn’t been interrupted. We were on our way to the location of the ping… but before we got there it disappeared.”

“So, what does that mean? Did you find our parents or what?” Sarah blurted out as she sat down. She stared into Agent Gray’s icy blue eyes, trying to read his mind.

Buylinks are  below. This is a great series for your tween/teen. 🙂

Astraea Press:  http://www.astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=662245&id=24157242

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Super-Spies-Pied-Piper-ebook/dp/B00D25G7ZM

Barnes and  Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-super-spies-and-the-pied-piper-lisa-orchard/1115437908?ean=2940016589701

September’s Tween Meme for the Emblazoners!

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you! It’s the fourth Wednesday of the month and you know what that means, it’s Tween Meme Day!

Today I decided to write about one of my favorite books of all time. The author is Harper Lee, and the title of the book is, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

I have always loved this story. It has captured the turbulent era beautifully and it’s told from a child’s point of view. The first time I read it, I identified with Scout. She reminded me of myself at a young age. I was kind of a tomboy. I would recommend this book to tweens and teens alike. It illustrates a great lesson regarding discrimination.

Discrimination is still prevalent in our society today. It has taken the form of bullying in our schools and on social media. It’s unfortunate. However, if we can get Tweens and Teens to understand the consequences of this kind of behavior maybe we can eliminate it all together. I believe reading these kinds of books empower our children to become critical thinkers. That way when they’re confronted with negative behavior like this they’ll be able to stand up for themselves.

This book is also a great history lesson as well.  It takes place in a Southern town during the Civil Rights movement. It reflects the crisis of those times. It’s great to see how far we’ve come as a nation, but we still have a ways to go.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post! I’d love to read your thoughts on it, so leave a comment. If you have any books you’d like to recommend, put that in the comment section as well. I’d love to check them out.

Don’t forget to check out what the other Emblazon authors are doing too! Click the link to find out! http://emblazoners.com/tween-the-weekends/

Back to School Blog hop!

And the Winners are!

BN 100

Paul R. Hewlett

Thanks so much for participating and you will be receiving an e-mail from me shortly! 🙂 Congrats BN 100 and Paul

Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you! Guess what?  I’m participating in another blog hop this week! That’s right! It’s the back to school blog hop! The members of the  We ♥ Middle grade Books Facebook Group are hosting it and we’re giving away some awesome prizes!  Books! That’s right! Books for your tweens and teens!

So please visit the other blogs and see what you can win!  Here at my blog I’m giving away one full set of the Super Spies series (e-book copies) to one winner! And a ten dollar Amazon Gift Card to another. How do you enter to win? Very good question! But before I answer that, here are the book covers of the three books that you can win!

You can enter a variety of ways. You can like my Facebook author page and leave a quick comment letting me know you’re from the blog hop. The link is below:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Orchard/328536613877060?ref=hl

You can also tweet about my books and leave the tweet in the comment section below:  Here’s an example of a tweet you can use:

What would you do if you were 15 and accused of murder? http://www.amazon.com/Super-Spies-Lady-Killer-ebook/dp/B007JZH61K

Amazon bestseller and great #teen read! 4.5 stars!

You can also leave a comment telling me your favorite book you read during your middle school years.

And you can enter more than once! Good luck and don’t forget to check out the other blogs on the hop! They have prizes too!

Click the link below to check out the other participating blogs!

“http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=296441“><img style=”border:0px” src=”http://www.inlinkz.com/wpImg.php?id=296441“></a>

Blog hop is open until midnight, September 15th! Winners will be announced on the 16th!  Good luck everyone!

My thoughts on Video Games

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’m here today talking about video games. My kids love them and when I was a kid I loved them too.

They could play them for hours if I let them. The game they love to play now is called Mine craft. At first, I didn’t get it. It seemed like such a pointless game. But then I had someone explain it to me and they put it in terms I could understand. It’s like Digital Legos and can be addicting. Well…Digital Legos… it can’t be that bad. I mean how violent can Legos be?

So, in that respect I don’t have a problem with Mine craft. In fact, it can be quite educational. I’ve explained to my boys that what is happening on the video game is Fiction. They learned about fiction and non-fiction in first grade so whenever I can I reinforce those lessons.

By playing Mine craft, my boys have been questioning what is fact and what is fiction. They will ask me questions like, is iron ore real? And I’ll say I don’t know, let’s look it up on the Internet. Well, after we research it and they learn iron ore is real…they’re on to the next question. Are cave spiders real?  And on it goes. We can spend a couple of hours researching these things that they were not even aware of if they hadn’t played Mine craft. So, in that respect, I’m glad my kids enjoy the game.

However, I do have a problem with video games as a whole. In my opinion, video games are a passive activity. What I mean is; it doesn’t require a lot of physical activity to play them. The industry is trying to combat this by attempting to make them more interactive. There are now dance games and sports games where the individual has to get up and move to play. This is a step in the right direction.

But, it doesn’t take the place of really getting involved and playing a game of soccer or baseball. This is where video games are unhealthy if they are played too much.

When kids play video games for hours on end or shut themselves in their rooms and play into the wee hours of the night then parents need to curtail their use. In my opinion, video games are okay if used in moderation.

Think about this, a child can’t play baseball for hours on end because they get tired and need a rest. I feel we should take that as a guideline, your child’s brain needs a rest too. But since playing video games is not physically taxing it’s easy to let an hour stretch into two… or three… or four.

As a parent I don’t ban video games from my home because they can be educational if used in the right way. But I do feel that they shouldn’t be the only activity my kids engage in. So, I limit the time my kids can play them.

In lieu of video games, I get the board games out. 🙂 That’s right good old fashioned board games…you remember those, right? Monopoly and Clue?

Just last night my sons and I played Monopoly. It was a great bonding experience, plus it’s educational too. They are still learning about money and how to count it in school, what a great way to reinforce that learning experience by playing a game about the exchange of money for goods and services.

Don’t overlook those oldies but goodies! We play Clue too! What a great way to teach your child to use their powers of deduction. 🙂 Kids will need that skill in life too!

And if all else fails…you could get the books out! 😉

Thanks for stopping by my blog and reading my post. I would love to read your comments on video games or the oldies but goodies! So please share!

Emblazoner Opening!

It’s the official opening of the Emblazoner’s Website! And to celebrate we’re doing an awesome giveaway! Keep on reading and check it out!

Here is the link to enter the rafflecopter giveaway! 🙂

http://emblazoners.wordpresshttp://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4bcc3d2/com/rafflecopter-giveaway/

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about a brand new site and give you a chance to win some great tween books!

I recently joined the Emblazon group. As Indie authors, we know the importance of group support. I have been learning all of this firsthand since joining. Let me share with you some details about our group.

Emblazon is a blog maintained and written by a collection of indie and traditionally published authors who care about producing high-quality stories for kids. We have a particular focus on ages 11 to 14. We call them Tweens. The purpose of Emblazon is to celebrate tween literature. We want to draw attention to this fabulous genre, interact with other enthusiasts, whether child or adult, and encourage new writers.

Emblazon launches its first post on July 10. Please consider helping us spread the word by mentioning us on your blog today or later this week. You may cut and paste from this website and use our attached logo if you wish. All bloggers who participate are eligible to enter our $100 Amazon gift card drawing that will be held the following day.

To thank all those bloggers who help us announce Emblazon‘s launch, we will be giving away a $100 Amazon gift card on July 11, 2013, as well as a smaller second place prize.

To enter the drawing, you must post about Emblazon on your blog on Wednesday, July 10, our official launch day. Then tweet your Emblazoners post to @CassidyJonesAdv and include the hashtag #Emblazoners. (Note: You will not be entered into the drawing without your blog post tweet that includes @CassidyJonesAdv and #Emblazoners.)

@CassidyJonesAdv will confirm you’ve been entered into the drawing by “favoriting” your tweet. If your tweet wasn’t “favorited,” tweet it again.

We appreciate your help getting the word out about our new website!}

You can also treat your readers to our upcoming Sizzling Freebies bash that will be hosted on Emblazon on August 1, during which a great selection of ebooks will be free for one day only.

Thanks for reading this post and leave a comment we’d love to hear from you! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway and win some awesome books!

The Movie “Now You See Me”

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you!  Today’s post is short and sweet, so if you don’t have a lot of time then this one’s for you.

A few weeks ago I went to see the movie “Now you see Me.” I was expecting a thriller and I was all geared up to be jumping out of my seat. Well…that didn’t happen, but I loved the movie anyway.

It was a movie about magic and how five magicians worked together to right a wrong that happened years ago. It was totally unexpected and a very good movie. I’d highly recommend it. 🙂

It was nice to go to the theater and get something unexpected. I don’t know about you, but for me that hasn’t happened in a long time. With so many different flicks out there it was nice to be pleasantly surprised. I don’t want to say too much more about it because then I’d have to give up the plot and I don’t want to ruin for anyone.

The actors did a great job. I’m a big fan of Woody Harrelson, ever since his Cheers days, and his acting was superb.  I’m also a big fan of Mark Ruffalo. He’s too cute for words. 🙂 (I know I’m gushing like a school girl…but hey what can I say!)

I liked Jesse Eisenberg’s character in this movie much better than the one he played in “Facebook.” So, he’s growing on me as an actor. I’ll definitely keep my eye out for him and check out his next movie.

Well…that’s about all I have to say about “Now You See Me.” I enjoyed it and if you’re looking for something a little different, you will too.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have you seen a good flick recently? Please share I’d love to read your comments. 🙂

Improving our Libraries will Improve our Literacy Levels

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! Last year I did a post on Literacy and it’s a subject that’s near and dear to my heart. And at that time I had the thought that e-books might be one of the solutions to our literary woes. But then I started working on a grant proposal for an organization (more about that later) and I did some research and found out something very interesting.

In all communities lack of funding or poverty is the number one cause of low literacy. By providing the tools (e-readers, e-books, and paperbacks) needed to fight this issue we are having a direct effect on it. Wan (2000) reviewed multiple reports to find the positive impacts of reading to children. Some experiments Wan reviewed involved reading aloud with individual students while others combined alone and group storybook readings to a class. Wan’s findings showcased that reading to children was vital to personal and school achievement. Even Stephen D Krashen author of “The Power of Reading” and Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California said, “In my opinion, the place to focus is the library, both the school and public library. Studies show a positive relationship between library quality (school and public) and the amount read, as well as a relationship with reading competence. Better libraries mean more literacy development for younger readers as well as for high school students.” Therefore, successful approaches to reading including read-aloud programs and setting aside time for reading. The first way to do this is to improve the amount of books on the library shelves.

So the gist of the last paragraph is that if we improve our libraries (school and public) we’ll have a positive effect on literacy levels. Here are some statistics that support this claim.

Information Brief: Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement by the New York Comprehensive Center

State Impact Studies

 

Collaboration between Teachers and the School Library

Collaboration between teachers and the school library through cooperative planning, identification of educational resources, and imparting information literacy skills, positively impacts teacher effectiveness and promotes student growth.

• Colorado:  A study conducted in 2000 showed that students in elementary schools with highly collaborative relationships between teachers and school librarians scored 21% higher than students with less collaborative relationships on the Colorado Student Assessment Program, or CSAP (Lance, Rodney, & Hamilton-Pennell, 2000).

• Indiana: A 2006 study showed that when principals put an emphasis on in-service opportunities for collaboration between teachers and school librarians, there was an increase in test scores of 29.5% compared to those who placed a lower emphasis on such activities. Additionally, collaboration in curriculum design and delivery of instruction resulted in a 7.8% increase in test results. It should be noted that these relationships were evident in both the elementary and high school grade levels (Scholastic, 2008).

• Illinois:  A 2005 study involving high schools showed that American College Testing (ACT) scores were highest for 11th graders when there was a high degree of collaboration between school librarians and teachers across a range of activities such as identifying materials, planning lessons, and motivating students to read.

• Oregon:  A study indicated that schools with the best Oregon Statewide Assessment reading and language scores had teachers who were twice as likely to collaborate with school librarians. Furthermore, students      in such classes were over 3 times more likely to visit the school library (Scholastic, 2008).

Access for Students

Providing access for teachers and students to school library facilities and resources, including through flexible scheduling, helps support students and has a positive effect on retention, work performance, and grades.

• Delaware: A study noted that teachers and faculty placed high value on school libraries due to their role in providing students with technology access, as well as ensuring information source quality       and diversity. The study concluded that teachers believed that such access helped them perform their responsibilities and duties better (Todd & Heinstrom, 2006)

• Illinois: A study involving schools that provided increased access to the school library through flexible scheduling found that fifth grade students performed 10% better in reading and 11% better in writing on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) compared to those schools with less access. Similar results were seen in high school, where there were 5% differences between schools on the ACT    (Lance Rodney, & Hamilton-Pennell).

• Michigan: A study demonstrated that teachers and students in schools with the highest reading scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) were four times more likely to have access to the school library on a flexibly scheduled basis than those in the lowest scoring schools (Rodney, Keith, & Christine, 2003).

These statistics demonstrate that the more teachers work with their library and the more resources a library can provide this has a direct effect on literacy levels of the students. This also applies to public libraries as well.

Without a variety of books to choose from a public library will attract very few readers. So, the more books a library has the more young people will be using its facilities.

A low cost alternative is the e-book. E-readers can hold approximately one thousand e-books. And e-books are less expensive and more durable than paperbacks. So, let’s help our libraries. We can donate our books and our time to them. I said it before and I’ll say it again! E-books are one of the solutions to our literacy issues!

Thanks for stopping by today and reading my post! Leave a comment and share your thoughts! I’d love to hear from you!