A Day with the Dragons Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Day with the Dragons
Written by Raven Howell
Illustrated by Alexander Santos
Ages: 2-7 | 34 Pages

Publisher: AMInk Publishing (2026) | ISBN-13: 978-1958842706

Publisher's Book Summary: What do you do when you and your brother have different interests but still want to spend the day together? Dragons Blue and Green set off on a series of comical misadventures. After risky jellyfish encounters and allergic red spots from dandelions, will they begin to understand that love and respect for one another matters more?

Available for purchase on Amazon and/or Bookshop.org.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raven Howell is the award-winning author and poet of over 30 children's books. She writes for magazines including Highlights, Cricket, and The School. She's a journalist for Story Monsters Ink magazine and a writer for children's educational publishers. Raven enjoys visiting students in schools and libraries, and most importantly, believes in magical dragons.

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Alexander Santos is a Brazilian illustrator with almost 30 years of experience. He has illustrated for several newspapers, dozens of children's, school, and literature books, and hundreds of children's magazines. He created and illustrated puzzles for the magazine Recreio (Brazil). He also designed children's games and taught drawing for 11 years. Alexander doesn't remember when he first encountered dragons, but he hasn't strayed far from them since discovering RPGs in the 80s.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What makes A Day with the Dragon stand apart from other books on the market?

Raven Howell - A Day with the Dragons is a light-hearted family story for children who find themselves in rupture with someone they love. I wrote it with a friendly, humorous tone to tackle this heavier theme.

My book purposely neglects moral statements and adult-oriented instruction prevalent in the children’s market today. The plot reveals a pathway to heal and come into our hearts and respect for one another with warmth and play.

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers like most about this book?

Raven Howell - The mischievous, colorful dragon brothers who have very specific, non-negotiable preferences are most engaging and relatable to readers of all ages. Attempting to out-trick one another, a resulting comedic collision is the highlight of the story.

Illustrator Alex Santos created the artwork to depict visual narration of the physical sensations and emotions of (dragons) Blue and Green. The illustrative work is hilarious, and self-explanatory, even for the preschool child.

Life Is What It's Called - What is your favorite line from this book?

Raven Howell - One of my favorite spots in the book is when Green tries to persuade his brother, Blue, to go hiking with him. He’s talking to Blue, who wants nothing more than to go sailing on the sea, with this silly, imaginative made-up obstacle

“Green insisted, “The water current is bringing in a lot of jellyfish. Jellyfish especially like to sting dragons!”

Imagine the horror on Blue’s face as thoughts of a dragon-stinging jellyfish fill his mind! 

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this book?

Raven Howell - I wanted to create a new book series and so, was considering magical, humorous, and loving characters I could turn to for a variety of story lines time and time again. And dragons had become a special part of my life.

As an intuitive, a few years ago, I was happy -and surprised- to find they were quite real as divine, powerful, and enchanting spirits. Dragons inspire me in many ways!

Life Is What It's Called - What would you like readers to know about you?

Raven Howell - I’m grateful for my long writing career. And over the past 3 decades, my favorite thing remains connecting with children and students. Not only is every generation different, but each child carries their own unique light in our world, learning and responding in their distinct way.

If as a parent, teacher, or caregiver, you’re reading A Day with the Dragons with your little ones, my hope is you make allowance to talk over or ask questions about the story’s conflict and resolution. The dragons give children a shared language, a shared story – powerful tools in their lives today.

GIVEAWAY

Readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win one of five signed hardcover copies of A Day with the Dragons. One lucky grand prize winner will receive a cozy A Day with the Dragons throw pillow plus 10 of Raven Howell's bestselling children's books, spanning preschool through early reader favorites.

This post is sponsored by Raven Howell. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views. Or: Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to share my opinion.

A Most Unfortunate Happenstance Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

Captain John Calder has finally secured the means and standing to propose to the woman he has dreamed of since the day they met—and a house party offers the perfect opportunity to become reacquainted with her.

But a violent storm on the road to Blackwell changes everything. The cold and damp strike John down with a sudden and violent return of the ague.

Evelyn Blackwell, traveling to her family’s estate to secure a suitor for her disgraced cousin, is caught in the same storm and forced to take refuge alone in an abandoned cottage. The door flies open to reveal a fevered stranger who promptly collapses at her feet. She keeps vigil through thunder, darkness, and delirium, certain he may not survive.

But he does survive and in the morning light, they promise to leave as strangers, hopefully never to see each other again, bound only by the secret of a shared night together.

However, days later, John arrives at Evelyn’s house party. Now they must spend weeks together while Evelyn balances arranging a match for her cousin with memories of that night—memories John does not share.

The longer they spend in each other’s company, the more Evelyn wonders if her cousin’s happiness can come only at the cost of her own—and whether the storm that brought her and John together has set her heart on a course to be broken apart.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Esther Hatch grew up on a cherry orchard in rural Utah. After high school, she alternated living in Russia to teach children English and attending Brigham Young University in order to get a degree in archaeology. She began writing when one of her favorite authors invited her to join a critique group. The only catch was she had to be a writer. Not one to be left out of an opportunity to socialize and try something new; she started on her first novel that week. Visit her at estherhatch.com.

BOOK REVIEW

In A Most Unfortunate Circumstance by Esther Hatch, Evelyn's family encounters a storm while traveling. To make her family more at ease as they spend the night in a carriage, Evelyn seeks refuge in a small, abandoned cottage. Her solitude is disturbed by a stranger who also seeks refuge in the storm from his delirium and illness. Evelyn cares for the stranger. At the end of the night, they both hope that they won't encounter each other again, however, they meet again at a house party. The stranger doesn't share the same memories as Evelyn and seeks to make a match with her cousin.

Esther Hatch starts off with the novel with what would have been considered a scandalous event during the Regency period. The main characters, Evelyn and John, start off mistrusting each other due to some misunderstandings. The chemistry begins to build slowly through the book through several memorable scenes and dialogue. The author does a good job at describing the scenes and the characters' actions that create a memorable impression. The story is also interwoven with humor and light-heartedness. This is a fast-paced romantic comedy and a fun read. To learn more, click here.

Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book to review, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog.

Simon the Scared Rottweiler Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Simon the Scared Rottweiler
Written by Nicole S. Kluemper, Ph.D.
Ages: 4–8 | 34 Pages
Publisher: Nicole S Kluemper (2026) | ISBN: 979-8218884802

Publisher’s Book Summary: Simon is having a hard day. He wakes up to a bad dream, the fire alarm goes off at school, some big bullies bother him, and that’s not all! Just then, Kevin’s big sister Angie steps in and helps Simon by teaching him some skills for dealing with his worry that will last a lifetime.

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole Kluemper, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist at a small community clinic in San Diego, California. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of San Diego and her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Alliant International University. Dr. Kluemper is a Navy veteran, a published author, and lives just outside San Diego with her husband of seventeen years and their dog, Simon.

To learn more, visit www.nicolekluemper.com and/or Instagram. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?

Nicole Kluemper - To be honest, necessity was the mother of invention in this case. I needed a tool to help me in my practice when working with young kids who were struggling with anxiety. It can be so hard to talk about, and even harder to break through. I had seen how powerful books could be when working with kiddos on other topics (like anger), so I knew it was possible. I just needed the specific tool for the job I was doing, so I created it.

With so many obstacles in terms of access to care these days, I wanted to reach out and help in some way. I’m certainly not saying a book replaces therapy, but the stigma associated with mental health services stops a parent from seeking therapy for the little one, perhaps they are willing to buy a children’s book?

My Simon has struggled with behavioral issues pretty much his entire life, and I firmly believe these stem from his anxiety. Everyone thinks Rottweilers are so tough, but that’s certainly not always the case, even when they act that way. The same can be true with people. I hope people get that I was trying to challenge these stereotypes and the stigma associated with mental health even with the title of the book.

Life Is What It's Called - What do you hope children will learn from this story?

Nicole Kluemper - Belly breathing! Of course…but I also hope they learn that they are not alone. I want kids struggling with big feelings to see that they can overcome hard things. They don’t have to stuff their feelings down or be ashamed – there’s hope! I also hope they learn persistence; Simon was about to leave when everything changed for him. I think there is a life lesson there.

Life Is What It's Called - How do you see this story being used in classrooms, counseling, at home or in storytimes?

Nicole Kluemper - In my own practice, I sometimes read the book aloud with the kiddo then help them make a thought bottle which they get to take home with them. The book gives common language and is a good jumping off point for conversation about anxiety. I guess I hope parents can use the book in a similar way at home. I picture parents and children hunched over bottles and glitter and super glue (while the grownups quietly curse me for sending glitter into their homes). I hope it gives parents who struggle with “what can I do for my child?” a tangible ‘thing they can do.’

Life Is What It's Called - What's your favorite line from the story and why?

Nicole Kluemper - When Simon and Angie are sitting at the kitchen table and she tells him that by the time the water is clear, his mind will be too. The line reads: “I gave her the side eye.” I love this line because it’s something the real Simon does to me all the time! It’s hysterical! Sometimes I could swear he knows what I’m saying, because he seriously looks at me sideways like “yeah, right.”

I also think parents can relate to this sentiment. If parents are going to read this story over and over again, I might as well make it fun for them too, right? This line was for the grownups in the audience. What parent hasn’t gotten the side eye from their four- year-old?

Life Is What It's Called - What can you share about your background and how it was helpful in developing this story?

Nicole Kluemper - When I was five years old, my parents were going through a pretty ugly divorce. A mental health professional was called in, and he was interested in what I had to say at a time when I really needed that. That experience resonated with me so much that my little five-year-old self decided then and there that she was going to grow up and help kids who had been through hard things. My love for helping kids is certainly the driving force behind this book.

Life Is What It's Called - What writing projects are you working on next?

Nicole Kluemper - My sweet Simon is sort of an obedience school dropout. Simon’s former trainer thinks Simon may be neurodivergent. I was talking about this with my husband and best friend, and essentially it morphed into an idea for a new book in which Simon has a friend on the autism spectrum. The story would focus on the adventures of this friend, and maybe some new coping skills too. I’m not totally sure yet, but that is as far as I’ve come with the idea.


GIVEAWAY

Five lucky readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win a paperback copy of Simon the Scared Rottweiler.

This post is sponsored by Nicole S. Kluemper. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views. Or: Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to share my opinion.