Thursday, July 21, 2022

The Crystal Beads: Lalka's Journey Virtual Book Tour


 

The Crystal Beads: Book Giveaway

GIVEAWAY


Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Crystal Beads, Lalka's Journey!

Four (4) winners receive:

A signed copy of The Crystal Beads, Lalka's Journey.

ABOUT THE BOOK



The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Written by Pat Black-Gould

Illustrated by Katya Royz

Ages 8+ | 40 Pages

Publisher: Purple Butterfly Press | ISBN-13: 9781955119207

Publisher’s Synopsis: A Star of David necklace or a rosary?

In 1939 Poland, a young girl is asked to give up one of these and accept the other without understanding why. However, what she must part with happens to be her most prized possession—a precious gift given to her by her father before he died.

The child’s mother then teaches the girl a “game” to prepare her for what is to come. As the Nazis invade the country, the mother is forced to make a heartbreaking sacrifice.

This beautifully illustrated picture book is loosely based on a true story. Although told through the eyes of a young girl, the book is written for readers of all ages. It also contains two study guides. One is for children, parents, and teachers. The other is for adults who may gather in places of worship, book clubs, and small groups. Discussion topics include themes of compassion, empathy, and diversity.

PURCHASE LINK


Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes and Noble


MY REVIEW

Author Pat Black-Gould takes a story she heard about a daughter being hidden in a convent school and surviving the Holcaust and turns it into a picture book that can introduce topics of kindness, mercy and courage to young readers.  Illustrator Katya Royz is the descendant of great-grandparents who fled their home in Derazhnya, Ukraine before the German Sonderkommando shot all the Jewish residents of the town in September 1942. Rabbi Mark W. Kiel, a Holocaust survivor’s son, says “Concerned parents often ask if children can handle the subject of the Holocaust. The answer is yes, if its story is told with subtlety and grace.”  These two creators have done their job with grace.

The unnamed girl in the story must give up the treasured Star of David her father gave her before his death and learn about the rosary that her mother gives her in its place. By teaching her daughter about the Christian faith and taking her to stay with Sister Teresa, the mother sacrifices her place in her child’s life, but saves her daughter from the fate of many Polish Jews under the Nazi regime. Sister Teresa represents all those clergy and neighbors who helped Jewish families preserve the lives of their children. As her character says, “I trust that the power that joins us is greater than anything that might divide us.”

With the study guides and other information in the back matter, this story can be used in homes and schools to discuss the difficult historical events, but also to promote empathy and kindness. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Pat Black-Gould, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and an author. Her short stories have appeared in several literary journals and anthologies.

Many years ago, Pat heard a powerful story that haunted her until she committed it to paper. The Crystal Beads was first published in Jewish Fiction. net in 2020. The short story then won first-place honors in two writing competitions conducted by the National League of American Pen Women, Washington, D.C.

The first was an award by the Pen Women Florida State Association. She then received the Flannery O’Connor Short Story Award as part of the National Biennial Letters in Competition. Pat felt it important to bring the story to a younger audience. At that point, she rewrote it as a children’s book. She hopes that The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey, will do justice to the story she once heard and carry its message to younger generations.

Pat’s writing explores topics such as compassion, tolerance, and diversity. She continues to examine these themes in her upcoming novel, Limbo of the Moon, written with her co-writer, Steve Hardiman.

For more information, visit www.patblackgould.com.

https://www.facebook.com/PatBlackGould

https://www.instagram.com/patblackgould/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-black-gould-ph-d-a418082b/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22197226.Pat_Black_Gould%20


TOUR SCHEDULE


Monday, July 11, 2022

The Children’s Book Review

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Life Is What It’s Called

An interview with author Pat Black-Gould

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

The Momma Spot

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Friday, July 15, 2022

Writer with Wanderlust

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Monday, July 18, 2022

Me Two Books

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Barbara Ann Mojica

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Thursday, July 21, 2022

The Twirling Book Princess

An article by author Pat Black-Gould

Friday, July 22, 2022

The Fairview Review

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Monday, July 25, 2022

Lisa’s Reading

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Shooting Stars Mag

An article by author Pat Black-Gould

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

J.R.s Book Reviews

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Crafty Moms Share

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey

Friday, July 29, 2022

Because I Said So

A book review of The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey


The Fairview Review is participating in the virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Purple Butterfly Press.

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone Virtual Book Tour

 


Jimmy Chartron Book Giveaway

GIVEAWAY


Enter for a chance to win a  Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone prize pack!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

The Comfy Couch Reader Prize Pack

- Two Alice in Wonderland throw covers

- A side lamp with a unique horse stencil design

-A signed copy of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

The Books and Beverage Lover Prize Pack

- A Jimmy Chartron mug

-A Magic Mug with 3 Reveal Characters

-A signed copy of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Three (3) winners receive:

A signed paperback copy of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

ABOUT THE BOOK


Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Written by J.T. Michaels

Ages 13-18 | 336 Pages

Publisher: J.T. Michaels | ISBN-13: 9781778035203

Publisher’s Synopsis: Author J.T. Michaels brings a fantasy tale of an ancient war, a modern-day murder mystery, mystical creatures, and memorable characters in his masterfully written young adult novel, Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone.

The Great War ended a century ago. Peace reigns across the eight countries. Epic tales of heroic men and women of those times are recounted in song and story. Yet, history seems to have forgotten a young battlefield healer, Tessa Marlise…

Sixteen-year-old Jimmy Chartron has just enrolled at the Navale Academy of Eagleon, his mind set on becoming an electrician. A chance magical encounter binds him to the trapped soul of Tessa Marlise. As Jimmy struggles to deal with this shocking development, murder and mystery unravel in the academy. Caught in the middle of everything, Jimmy realizes that a larger evil is afoot and that only two things can stop it: himself and the ghost in his head…

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

Bookshop


MY REVIEW


Looking for fantasy adventure with action, magic, strange beasts, and a young protagonist coming of age? Jimmy Chartron is a teenage orphan working any jobs he can find (cleaning ships down at the harbor, delivering mail, etc.) to survive. His goal is to go to school and become an electrical inventor. It seems that his dreams are coming true, because he is accepted to the Navale Academy and is able to sign up for the track of study that will let him learn about electricity. But instead of clear sailing, Jimmy winds up stuck in a web of intrigues with ties back to a war that ended before he was born, and the players in the intrigue seem to be everywhere. There are attacks in the school, shadowy figures trying to assassinate instructors and government agents, and no matter where he goes, Jimmy is always right in the thick of the action. This book has many attractive features for readers. There is the plucky orphan who works hard to rise above circumstances. The stately school with its well-respected instructors is now plagued by break-ins, fires, and attacks by magical creatures. Working so hard just to have food and a place to stay, Jimmy has not made friends of his own age until he reaches school. Suddenly, he meets other young people and begins to form alliances with them. There are objects that seem magical or part of a steampunk world - trains with elemental stones that help to move the cars along tracks, air ships that use other stones to levitate them through the air, pistols that send out bullets and smokescreens. Whether readers enjoy the trope of the lonely boy finding his place in the world, or simply want some fighting scenes with magical creatures and weird gadgets, Jimmy Chartron will keep them turning the pages. And they will be glad to see it is only the first in a series - so they can expect more from Jimmy and his friends (and enemies) in the future.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Author J.T. Michaels has always loved storytelling, no matter the medium. Being immersed in a different world, whether it’s through books or video games, has also been an obsession for him. Years after writing for his school magazine, he discovered he wanted to create his own worlds for readers, and his journey to fantasy writing began with Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone, the first volume in his epic fantasy series.   

J.T. gets inspiration for his books from everything around him, incorporating his friends as character ideas to make his stories as relatable and realistic as possible. He hopes his young readers come away from his stories having escaped from the real world for a bit and with a spark of magic that lasts long after the book is closed. 

When he isn’t writing enchanting fantasy novels for teens, J.T. enjoys running and spending time outside in the sunshine and hunkering down in a bookstore or library on rainy days. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, where he likes to indulge in a great cup of coffee. Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone is his debut novel, the first in a planned fantasy trilogy. 

For more information, visit https://www.jtmichaels.ca/.

https://www.instagram.com/storiesbyjtmichaels/

https://www.tiktok.com/@storybyjtmichaels


TOUR SCHEDULE



Monday, July 18, 2022

The Children’s Book Review

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

The Children’s Book Review

A Growing Readers Podcast interview with author J.T. Michaels

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

J.R.s Book Reviews

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Thursday, July 21, 2022

The Fairview Review

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Friday, July 22, 2022

The Momma Spot

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

icefairy’s Treasure Chest

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Barbara Ann Mojica

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Thursday, July 28, 2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

An article by author J.T. Michaels

Friday, July 29, 2022

Confessions of a Book Addict

A book giveaway of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Monday, August 1, 2022

The Children’s Book Review

An Instagram Video Review

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Tales of a Wanna-Be Superhero Mom

An article by author J.T. Michaels

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Lisa’s Reading

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Because I Said So

A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone

Virtual tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and J.T. Michaels.