Monday, September 28, 2015

Book Review with Guest Post and Giveaway: Baby Comes Home by Dr. Paul Roumeliotis

I received a free book to review.

Book Description for Baby Comes Home:

Unlike most baby care books, expert pediatrician and health communicator DR. PAUL Roumeliotis takes a unique approach by emphasizing what scientific advances have confirmed—that what happens early on in life affects one's overall health decades down the road.

Baby Comes Home communicates the latest science that explains how positive or negative early childhood experiences can have lifelong consequences. The book begins by describing the vital changes that occur in a baby's brain during the first 18 months. It then explores the new "Science of TLC", that shows how tender, loving, and caring relationships with babies help to positively shape their brains. The book then presents important practical information on safety in the home and outdoors, baby routines/patterns, immunizations, injury prevention, nutrition, and more. To complete this useful guide, DR.PAUL also reviews common baby care issues and concerns as well as illnesses and conditions commonly seen during the first few years of life.

Whether you're a parent, grandparent, daycare teacher or child caregiver, this book is an excellent reference resource for your baby's current and future health, wellness and prosperity.

To hear Dr. Paul talk about his new book on CTV News,
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "BABY COMES HOME":

“Dr. Paul, an expert in pediatrics, has written a groundbreaking book about the importance of childhood/infant health in preventing illness and ensuring wellness later on in life. An accessible and valuable resource for doctors, psychiatrists, paramedics and parents around the world, this book should be used by organizations to further global initiatives relating to pediatric health on the international stage, the main specialized bodies of the United Nations, UNICEF and WHO in particular. If you are one of the believers of my own quote on this very subject: “A sound mind can only be found in a sound body,” then I strongly recommend that you carefully read and digest this innovative book by Dr.Paul accordingly.”
-His Excellency, Ambassador Doctor Waheed Waheedullah, United Nations Chief Trouble Shooter, Mother Theresa Peace Prize Winner

“Baby Comes Home” highlights how important the first few months of a baby’s life are. From delving into the science of the developing brain to exploring the daily routines of infant care, Dr. Paul has written an informative and engaging book about ways to invest in your baby’s current and lifelong health and wellness. I wish Dr. Paul’s book had been around when my five kids were growing up! He has anticipated the questions parents have and gives answers in a clear no nonsense way. He even makes the science understandable. This will be a well-thumbed book by all new parents and frequent late night reading!”
-Dr. Jean Clinton, MD, FRCP(C), Infant and Child Psychiatrist & Assistant Clinical Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University

“This is a most important book for parents and those interested in the health of children. Dr. Paul is uniquely qualified to be its author. For over 30 years he has not only studied the science of children's health, and has written hundreds of articles but he has provided care of 1000s of children. His conversation with parents has given him a unique perspective on how many of the health issues that have to be dealt with,  can be prevented or uniquely approached. Use this book  as a resource,  use it as a textbook or use this book to help parents provide the kind day to day care they deserve.”
-Dr. Michael A.  LeNoir, MD, F.A.A.A.A.I, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco(UCSF)Past President ,National Medical Association‎ and Past President, National Association of Physician Broadcasters

Guest Post:
What inspired me to write BABY COMES HOME by Dr. Paul Roumeliotis

I have dedicated my career to the communication aspects of being a pediatrician, as I believe that when it comes to child health and wellness, ‘Knowledge is Comfort``. The more parents know about their child’s health, the more comfortable they will be, and this, with all aspects of childhood including growth, development, prevention and during illness.  

This, my first formally published book, is a collection of knowledge and information drawn from my clinical practice and teaching experiences, readings, and my publications and productions. I address common questions from parents and caregivers since I started working in the field of pediatrics in the early 1980s and launched my website (www.drpaul.com ) the first of its kind in the world. I have selected and compiled the material for this book from the many articles and fact sheets that I have created for newspapers, magazines, videos, radio, and the internet. I place a heavy emphasis on prevention as, since 2007, my career has shifted toward a broader public health practice, yet with a focus on child health and wellness, recognizing that the best start possible will ensure a long, healthy, and prosperous life.

I describe what parents and child caregivers can do to ensure that baby is well-nourished, healthy and well, immunized , free from injury, and growing in a nurturing environment. Specifically, I describe  the newborn baby period from the moment of birth and offer basic baby care and safety information for the first eighteen months and beyond. This includes addressing frequent parental concerns and describing some of the most common illnesses and conditions seen during the first few years of life.  

As I was putting this book together, one of my major challenges was to determine the sequence of the many topics that I cover. The order of the sections reflect the timing and frequency of questions from parents of newborns, combined with topics that I think are important to know about as early as you can. Although the title says A Parents’ Guide, this book can be a helpful resource for any child caregiver, be it a grandparent, aunt or uncle, babysitter or daycare teacher. In addition, many of the topics that I cover will apply even beyond the age of eighteen months.

Review:
Even though my children are older than 18 months I still wanted to read this book to see what I can learn from it. I learned a lot actually, for example, I learned  that dark circles under the eyes can mean that a child might be prone to certain allergic conditions. That kind of thing is helpful for any parent to know no matter the children's age because you'll know what signs look out for. There are so many tips on preparing for baby and keeping baby safe at home and even outside the home. There are short lists of some developmental milestones by age from birth until eighteen months. The last part of the book (my favorite part) is about common illnesses and conditions and some tips on what you can do to help your child. 

I enjoyed reading Baby Comes Home because there's so much useful information even for parent's of children older than 18 months, like me. Some things I already knew but I did learn a lot of new things from this book. I loved Dr. Pauls writing style because he kept it short and simple and to the point. It was easy to understand. This is a great book for anyone with children or that takes care of children. I give this book 5 stars.

Buy the Book:     AMAZON ~  BARNES AND NOBLE ~  GOOGLE BOOKS  ~ INDIGO/CHAPTER


Author's Bio:

DR. PAUL Roumeliotis is an expert on early child health and wellness and a health communications pioneer. His educational content has reached millions of people online and he is regularly featured on TV and radio. He is an adjunct professor of pediatrics and former director of Multi-Format Health Communications for the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. DR.PAUL also holds a Masters of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health where he is an Associate faculty member.

A health communications pioneer and pediatrician, DR.PAUL Roumeliotis believes that the future of healthcare is in communicating health information in a variety of media formats, thereby making It available to the largest audience possible. It was this vision that inspired him to become a writer/publisher/producer of multi-format health and wellness resources, including becoming the world’s first online pediatrician with a website that has been visited by millions since its launch in 1995.

Beginning as a professional drummer and record producer, DR. PAUL’s journey to his present vision actually preceded his medical career. In 1991, he merged his medical expertise and technical talents into the DR. PAUL Child Health and Wellness Information Project, reflecting his commitment to create practical and trustworthy health information resources in all formats. He has created and produced well over 300 productions (more than 1 million of his videos, cassettes, and DVDs have been distributed across North America).

DR.PAUL has been able to effectively merge his skills in producing information with accuracy, credibility, confidence, and comfort as a common theme. The potential social impact is enormous, as the need for accurate and empathetic health content is huge.

Connect with Dr. Paul:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook


Prizes:

Win 1 of 5 print copies of Baby Comes Home (open internationally)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Sept 14 -Sahar's Reviews - review
Sept 15 - The Cheshire's Cat Looking Glass - book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 15 - T's Stuff - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 16 - Book Referees - book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 17 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review / author interview / giveaway
Sept 18 - A Mama's Corner of the World - guest post / giveaway
Sept 21 - #redhead.with.book - review / giveaway
Sept 22 - A Simple Life, Really?! - review
Sept 24 - A Bird with a French Fry - review / giveaway
Sept 28 - Alwaysjoart - review / guest post / giveaway
Sept 29 - The Forgiven Former Feminist - review / author interview
Oct 1 - Collecting Moments - review / guest post
Oct 2 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review



Book Blitz with Giveaways: Hookah by Cameron Jace


Hookah by Cameron Jace
(Insanity #4)
Publication date: December 12th 2015
Genres: Fairy Tales,

Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:
A Plague Scarier than Death
Alice and the Pillar have to stop a Wonderland Monster who’d lashed out an incurable disease onto the world. Their biggest challenge is that the world loves this monster so much.
A Cure Larger than Life
The only way to save the world is to travel to the other side of the globe, and peek into one of Lewis Carroll and the Pillar’s darker pasts.
A Truth Madder Than Fiction
This time, the price of saving the world is too high. Alice will have to live with the consequences of the maddest logic of the world surrounding her.
Will Alice find who the Pillar really is? What he wants? Is she brave enough to handle the one Wonderland Monster she’d thought was a good friends? And even so, is the world ready the truth?



Purchase:

Get book 1 (FREE): 

Excerpt:
"Have you ever jumped out of a plane in a parachute, down to meet up with people who’d take selfies of your blood on their faces for breakfast?
I am doing it right now. And guess what, it’s nighttime, so not only am I free-falling, but I am also doing it in the dark. That’s what I call a bonus.
Throwing away the Pillar’s goggles, I hear the plane explode in midair above me.
Oh my god, this is for real!
“I’ve always wanted to blow up my employees,” the Pillar shouts all the way down. I am not sure how I can hear him. “But you’ll be fine. Just pull the red lever when I tell you to.”
In spite of all the madness, I feel unexpectedly fine up here in the air. Fine is an understatement. I feel euphoric. I want to feel like this every day. It’s ridiculous how much I am enjoying this, although I may get face-palmed by the earth in a few seconds.
Mary Ann, also known as Alice Wonder, 19 years old, dead and gone. I imagine the scripture on my grave says. But who cares? She was mad anyways.
Suddenly I realize that the madness hasn’t started yet. Not at all.
Down below, I can see something glittering. The vast land where we’re landing is nothing but an endless field of ridiculously over-sized mushrooms.

Big mushrooms growing everywhere, whitening up the black of the night.


AUTHOR BIO:
Insanity 4 is available for pre-order http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013JAUABG

Cameron Jace is the bestselling author of the Grimm Diaries and Insanity series. A graduate of the college of Architecture, collector of out-of-print books, he is obsessed with the origins of folk tales and the mysterious storytellers who spread them. Three of his books made Amazon's Top 100 Customer Favorites in Kindle 2013 & Amazon's Top 100 kindle list. Cameron lives in California with his girlfriend. When he isn't writing or collecting books, he is playing music.

Sign up for his mailing list here: http://bit.ly/1sxp3p1

Author links:


GIVEAWAYS

ebook copy of Hookah

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

eBook copies of Insanity #1-4
ends Oct 1st:

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Book Blitz and Giveaway ends 10/7: Demon's Assistant series by Tori Centanni


Welcome to the Demon's Assistant Series blitz tour! The Demon's Assistant Series is by Tori Centanni and is a young adult urban fantasy. Check out the books and enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card!




TheDemonsDeadline-2About The Demon's Deadline (Demon's Assistant Book 1)

Some teenagers deliver pizza, some deliver newspapers. My part-time job? I deliver mysterious envelopes for a demon. I don’t even get tips. 

It seemed like a good deal at the time. I almost died in a car accident, and Azmos saved me… gave me a second chance. At first, it wasn’t so bad. I got to live, go to high school, hang out with my boyfriend Cam. He’s too cute for his own good, but he’s getting tired of all this demon stuff. I hate lying to my best friend Melissa and my dad, who's still not over my mom's death. Neither am I. 

But now, this gig is getting dangerous, and it’s not like I can quit. Even if I could, then what? I’ve seen things I can’t unsee. I just hope I can figure out how to navigate the darkness before I do something I can’t undo. 

It’s time I face my own demons.
------------------------

About Gabriel's Demons (Demon's Assistant Book 1.5):

My name is Gabriel Price, and I’m no stranger to bad dreams.

After losing my family in a house fire, I suppose it’s normal to have nightmares. Except now, I’m dreaming awake, seeing things I don’t want to see, things I shouldn’t be able to see.

The first time I saw someone’s death, the vision hit me hard, just like the speeding car that crashed, killing its driver. There was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. Not the first time. Or the second. Or the third. But now…I think I might have a chance to prevent my visions from coming true.

It’s a gift to be able to stop someone from dying, right? The demon who’s interested in my ability thinks so, but I’m not about to accept the deal he's offering. My inner demons give me enough hell. I don't need even more.
------------------------

inthedemonscompany-3About In the Demon's Company (Demon's Assistant Book 2):


There’s a new demon in town… …and my boss, Azmos, isn’t happy about it. I guess he doesn’t like competition in the soul-binding business. 

Meanwhile, my Chemistry teacher seems to be caught up in this magical mess, so I’m anxious to get to the bottom of what's going on. Now that Az has promoted me from errand girl to demon’s apprentice I might actually be able to do something to help. Of course, my boyfriend Cam wants me to stay out of it, and for once Azmos actually agrees with him.  

Sorry, but I can’t just sit around doing homework while a demon is leaving a trail of bodies all over town. Besides, I’ve got my own posse now. Okay, I’ve got an ice-cold death demon, a tortured psychic and a pink-haired demonologist to help me. Together we’ll figure it out, and I’ll prove I’m ready to be a full-fledged apprentice…or I’ll die trying.

--------------------------------------

About the Author:

Tori Centanni is a nerd girl and a recovering goth. She likes dark, quirky stories with elements of humor. When not reading or writing, she can be found baking, watching too much television, and wrangling cats. She lives in Seattle, WA.

-------------------------------

GIVEAWAY:
$25 Amazon gift card (INT)
Ends 10/7
Prizing provided by the publisher, hosts are not responsible in any way.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Book Blast with Giveaway ends 10/5: Real Ways Moms Can Work from Home by Mandie Stevens

RWWhardback
If you could change your life for less than $5 would you?
It's true--you can stay home with your children and still earn money! Work-at-home businesses are on the rise, and Mandie Stevens has been living this life for almost ten years.
Do you need to pay for dance lessons for your kids? Do you want to pay off credit card debt? Or do you need full-time income? You can do it. Find out how to get started with this book.

Purchase on Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Amazon Review - This book has websites and gives help as to how to build your audience. For someone like me it has to be dumbed down enough for me to understand and I had no problem following her how to’s. Other how to books lose me, they offer so much information that after a while it all seems Chinese to me. This book was point on and she tells it to you straight, you have to put yourself out there if you want to get something out of it.

Amazon Review - It gives real life tips and advice on how you can get started including websites you can visit. This is not a get rich quick scheme, but honest to goodness ways you can start a business from the comfort of your own home. The author does not sugar coat anything by saying it's easy and will just fall into your lap. She lets you know you have to work for it, but shows that it can be achieved. The book includes her testimony as well as that of several others who have been successfully doing this for years. This book is the real deal.

Mandie Stevens has always been accused of living in her own world so she decided to put it to paper. When she isn’t writing you can catch her lounging on the beach reading. Mandie has penned both non-fiction and urban fantasy. She has ridiculously little feet and would be happy eating seafood every day.

Want a little extra help starting a blog? Check out this giveaway. OPEN WORLDWIDE. Must be 18+
BookblastbannerRWMCWFH
Fill out the form below to enter to win.
Ends 10/5
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Book Blitz and Giveaway ends 10/1: The Natural Order by R.J. Vickers



The Natural Order 
by R.J. Vickers 
Publication date: March 14th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Add on Goodreads 

Synopsis:
Tristan Fairholm is one of 15 juvenile delinquents selected to learn magic…for a purpose that is kept secret from them. When they at last learn that the magic they have harvested causes death and ruin in a bid to keep the world from collapse, they must make a choice: do they fight it? Or do they use it?

If you loved Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, you won’t want to miss this new YA fantasy!

Purchase:




Author Interview:
THE BOOK

Who is your favorite character in The Natural Order, and why? 
Leila is definitely my favorite.  She’s a bit like me (she likes cooking and telling stories), but she’s a lot more snarky and confrontational.  She’s been hurt, and she thinks very poorly of herself, but she still gives everything she has to the people she cares for.

Who was your least favorite character?  What made that individual unappealing?
Evvie.  I originally started writing the book from her perspective, only to get bored within about three chapters.  The worst part was that the beginning sounded exactly like the start of a story I’d written in middle school.  It was embarrassing.  Anyway, Tristan was supposed to be this dark, brooding character who fascinated and scared Evvie, but then I decided his perspective would be much more interesting.  I switched then and there, and never regretted it.  Evvie is interesting enough, but I still have a grudge against her. 

What else did you edit out of The Natural Order
I can’t even remember everything I’ve cut out!  The book has gone through 9 drafts of revisions, and for the first five or so, things were drastically changing between each draft.  First of all, after Evvie was cut from narrating, her initial scenes were gone.  Then the story started right before the car crash where Tristan kills his brother, and eventually I cut that scene and the scenes of Tristan at Juvie, because they weren’t the right tone to lead into the story. 

A few characters have been axed as well—originally the students were collected by someone named Professor Rowdy, who had a goatish face and a nervous tic.  I can’t remember much more about him; clearly he wasn’t very important.  And second, there was originally a mountaineer who stumbled across the Lair and fell in love with Evvie, but that later became *(spoiler alert!)* the twins Evvie cares for, since it heightened the tension between the teachers.  

What was your favorite chapter or part to write, and why?
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for cozy scenes.  I love getting into characters’ heads, so I adore spending time with them and seeing them interact in a comfortable, enjoyable scene.  Part of it is because I often feel like I’m living the scenes as I write them, so I get great pleasure from living those moments.  I loved writing the section set around Christmastime in The Natural Order, though I ended up cutting a lot of it to keep up the pace of the plot! 

What can we expect from you in the future, with regard to this story and other current or future projects? 
I’m working on the sequel, and plan to complete that during NaNoWriMo this year.  I’m also halfway through a massive epic fantasy novel, The Fall of LostportLostport is set in a world I’ve been developing for a long time now, so it’s wonderful to finally get a chance to spend time in it. 

When is the next book in the series going to be released? 
I’m aiming to release the second Natural Order book at the same time next year: June 2016!    



AUTHOR BIO:
R.J. Vickers grew up in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, earned a BA in Writing and Publishing at Emerson College, and was shortly thereafter whisked off to New Zealand by her Kiwi partner.

She now lives in Christchurch with her fiance, Daniel, where she works as a part-time chef. When she's not writing, she loves hiking and adventuring throughout New Zealand.

R.J. Vickers is the author of The Natural Order, the first book in a new young adult fantasy series. She swears by NaNoWriMo, and has written seven short novels during the typing frenzy that is November.

Author links:


Giveaway
ebook copy of The Natural Order


Friday, September 18, 2015

Book Review: Aoleon The Martian Girl Part 5 The Great Pyramid of Cydonia by Brent LeVasseur


I received an ebook copy to review.

Title: Aoleon The Martian Girl: Part 5 -
The Great Pyramid of Cydonia
Author and Illustrator: Brent LeVasseur
Category: Middle-Grade
Genre: Science-fiction and Fantasy
Add on Goodreads

Book Description:
Will Aoléon and Gilbert discover the truth at last?

It’s been one difficult challenge after another, but Aoléon, Gilbert and their friends (Bizwat, Helios, and Zoot) make it to their final destination: the secret Martian base located under the Great Pyramid of Cydonia. But their adventure isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot!

Not only must they infiltrate a secret underground facility guarded by legions of sentrybots to find and rescue Aoléon’s parents, but they also must face their toughest test yet.

Can Gilbert help Aoléon rescue her parents and stop the Martian invasion once and for all?

Read the exciting conclusion to the Aoléon the Martian Girl series to find out!


Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble



Aoleon The Martian Girl Box Set (Books 1-5) is now available on Amazon.com for $9.99 as a Kindle eBook.


About the author:
Mr. LeVasseur enjoys crafting good stories based on lovable characters designed to translate well to multiple media formats such as books, games, movies, and toys. He is an associate member of the Children's Book Council. He lives in New York when he is not commuting between Southern California and Olympus Mons, Mars. His hobbies include writing, 3D animation, musical composition, and intergalactic space travel. He also enjoys various sports such as skiing, running, and exospheric skydiving.

Connect with Brent:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Aoleon The Martian Girl 



My opinion:
Aoleon the Martian Girl Part 5 is the ending/last part of Gilbert and Aoleon's adventure. It was so fun to read. I loved all the characters especially Helios and Zoot. Zoot is so adorable and he turns out to be very smart and brave plus he saves the day (my favorite part in this book). The president made me laugh and the Luminon creeped me out! I wish I could show you a picture of the Luminon so you can see how scary he looks but I couldn't figure out how to save the pictures on my computer. Brent LeVasseur did a great job with this story and the illustrations. The only thing I felt was missing was Gilbert's reunion with his family but it was still a very good ending. 

I would recommend Aoleon The Martian Girl to all fantasy and science fiction book lovers. I give Part 5 and parts 1-5 altogether 4.5 stars.

You can read my review of Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here and Part 4 here.